In the not too distant future, the United States may well decide that it has no choice but to introduce an official, legally recognizable computerized system of electronic voting and public opinion polling to operate alongside the free market surveys. In the electronic republic, voting in federal plebiscites and on national initiatives and referenda may well become part of the legally sanctioned duties of citizenship.
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: ”In the not too distant future, the United States may well decide that it has no choice but to introduce an official, legally recognizable computerized system of electronic voting and public opinion polling to operate alongside the free market surveys. In the electronic republic, voting in federal plebiscites and on national initiatives and referenda may well become part of the legally sanctioned duties of citizenship. Different proposals along these lines have already been introduced by members of Congress from both parties.”
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 3: The Rising Force of Public Opinion
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Page 60
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Guarino, Jennifer Anne