The highway will bestow power on groups of citizens who want to organize to promote causes or candidates. This could lead to an increased number of special-interest groups and even political parties … It will become so easy to organize a political movement that no cause will be too small or scattered. I expect the Internet will be a significant focus for all the candidates and political-action groups for the first time during the 1996 U.S. national elections. Eventually, the highway will become a primary conduit of political discourse.
Predictor: Gates, Bill
Prediction, in context:In his 1995 book “The Road Ahead,” Microsoft CEO Bill Gates writes: ”Even if the model of political decision making does not change explicitly, the highway will bestow power on groups of citizens who want to organize to promote causes or candidates. This could lead to an increased number of special-interest groups and even political parties. Today, organizing a political movement on an issue requires an immense amount of coordination. How do you find the people who share your view? How do you motivate and communicate with them? … The information highway makes all communication easier. Bulletin boards and other on-line forums allow people to be in touch one-on-one, or one-to- many, or many-to-many, in very efficient ways. People of similar interests are able to meet on-line and organize without any physical overhead. It will become so easy to organize a political movement that no cause will be too small or scattered. I expect the Internet will be a significant focus for all the candidates and political-action groups for the first time during the 1996 U.S. national elections. Eventually, the highway will become a primary conduit of political discourse.”
Biography:Bill Gates, the most influential technology entrepreneur of the late 20th century, was the primary author of the prediction-packed 1995 book “The Road Ahead” and is the founder and CEO of Microsoft Corporation. (Entrepreneur/Business Leader.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Global Relationships/Politics
Subtopic: Democracy
Name of publication: The Road Ahead (book)
Title, headline, chapter name: Chapter 12: Critical Issues
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Pages 271, 272
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Guarino, Jennifer Anne