Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question asks to identify the author of a significant book titled "Digital Democracy". This field of study examines how the internet and other digital communication technologies affect democracy.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Noam Chomsky: A linguist and political critic known for books like "Manufacturing Consent," but not "Digital Democracy."
Marjorie Ferguson: A communication scholar who has written about media and culture, but is not the primary author associated with this title.
Jan van Dijk: A Dutch professor of communication science who is a leading scholar on the social aspects of digital media. He authored the influential book "Digital Democracy: Issues of Theory and Practice" (2000) and "The Network Society".
Basil Bernstein: A British sociologist known for his work on the sociology of education.
Step 4: Final Answer:
The author of the key text "Digital Democracy" among the given options is Jan Dijk (Jan van Dijk).