People not only will be able to vote on election by telecomputer for those who govern them but also will be able to make their views known formally and informally, on a daily basis or even more often if they wish, regarding the politics, laws, agendas, and priorities about which they care the most. By pushing a button, typing on-line, or talking to a computer, they will be able to tell their president, senators, member of Congress, and local leaders what they want them to do and in what priority order. The potential will exist for individual citizens to tap into government on demand, giving them the capacity to take a direct and active role, by electronic means, in shaping public policies and specific laws.
Predictor: Grossman, Lawrence K.
Prediction, in context:In his 1995 book “The Electronic Republic: Reshaping Democracy in the Information Age,” Lawrence Grossman, former president of NBC News and PBS, writes: ”People not only will be able to vote on election by telecomputer for those who govern them but also will be able to make their views known formally and informally, on a daily basis or even more often if they wish, regarding the politics, laws, agendas, and priorities about which they care the most. By pushing a button, typing on-line, or talking to a computer, they will be able to tell their president, senators, member of Congress, and local leaders what they want them to do and in what priority order. The potential will exist for individual citizens to tap into government on demand, giving them the capacity to take a direct and active role, by electronic means, in shaping public policies and specific laws.”
Biography:Lawrence Grossman wrote the book “The Electronic Republic: Reshaping Democracy in an Information Age” (Penguin, 1995). The former executive at NBC and PBS urged people to realize that digital communications had altered how things can and should be done. (Author/Editor/Journalist.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Global Relationships/Politics
Subtopic: Campaigns/Voting
Name of publication: The Electronic Republic (book)
Title, headline, chapter name: Chapter 7: The Shape of the Electronic Republic: The Citizens, the Congress, the Presidency, and the Judiciary
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Page 149
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Guarino, Jennifer Anne