1. The Public Voice, Legitimacy and ICANN

The need for user participation and representation to legitimize Internet governance - and consequently, ICANN itself - is the proper basis of all debates with regard to the At-Large Membership. While ICANN's founding documents and other communications indicate an institutional commitment by ICANN to "At-Large" or other public representation on the Board, we begin our defense of public representation's abiding importance with a value-based analysis of ICANN's need for a strong public voice, rooted in the impact that ICANN's activities have on the Internet community.

Introduction

1.1. A Value-based and Conceptual Approach