If computer-driven electronic keypads were put in the hands of every voter, … national referenda would be relatively easy to conduct on a regular basis. Whether or not the national actually adopts these or similar measures of direct democracy, unofficial instantaneous public opinion polls will continue to be made available on demand. The federal government will have no choice but to operate in a political environment of virtual plebiscites, even if such votes are not officially recognized.
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: ”If computer-driven electronic keypads were put in the hands of every voter, … national referenda would be relatively easy to conduct on a regular basis. Whether or not the national actually adopts these or similar measures of direct democracy, unofficial instantaneous public opinion polls will continue to be made available on demand. The federal government will have no choice but to operate in a political environment of virtual plebiscites, even if such votes are not officially recognized.”
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 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 153
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Guarino, Jennifer Anne