With a system of personal codes and the right telecommunications technology in the hands of all citizens, no longer would there be a practical reason why voting should necessarily by limited to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The people could be asked to vote electronically on any specific measure any time a public response is required. That it is technically feasible, however, does not mean it is politically possible or even desirable. Should we make provision for popular electronic balloting in out representative system? And if so, on what basis and how often? Should a limit be imposed on how many popular votes can be held in a year? … Issues are inevitably going to be raised in the electronic republic and need to be thoroughly explored.
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: ”Is there a new role to be played at the federal level by officially authorized national plebiscites, referenda, and ballot initiatives in our representative republic? Soon it will technically be feasible to have instant tele-voting from home or workplace, using personal computers and microprocessors. With a system of personal codes and the right telecommunications technology in the hands of all citizens, no longer would there be a practical reason why voting should necessarily by limited to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The people could be asked to vote electronically on any specific measure any time a public response is required. That it is technically feasible, however, does not mean it is politically possible or even desirable. Should we make provision for popular electronic balloting in out representative system? And if so, on what basis and how often? Should a limit be imposed on how many popular votes can be held in a year?… Should the popular votes be advisory only, to help inform the executive branch and the Congress about what course their constituents believe they should follow? Or should certain popular votes be viewed by Congress as mandates or instructions from the people – the new fourth branch of government – subject to bring overruled only by presidential veto or the courts? Should the electorate also be given the right to veto unpopular laws that Congress has passed and the president signed – the ultimate popular check in our system of checks and balances? And should the national electorate, through such votes, be able to insist that Congress address legislation that it has already decided to ignore or refused to consider (a process that already exists in several states)? All these issues are inevitably going to be raised in the electronic republic and need to be thoroughly explored by the proposed federal commission.”
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: Democracy
Name of publication: The Electronic Republic (book)
Title, headline, chapter name: Chapter 10: Nongovernmental and Other Reforms
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Pages 249, 250
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Guarino, Jennifer Anne