FUTURE STUDIES

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FUTURE STUDIES

• e-DEMOCRACY
• FOR
• WALDEN UNIVERSITY
• by
• Earl C. Joseph, Futurist

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TOPICS COVERED

• e-DEMOCRACY TRENDS
• STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE
• TOWARD AN e-GOVERNMENT
• ON-LINE DEMOCRACY
• NEW TECHNOLOGY IMPACT
• FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY
• WEBBING GOVERNMENT
• INTERNET VOTING
• FORECASTS

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SOME QUESTIONS

• DEMOCRACY IN A COMPUTER-FRAMED SOCIETY
• COULD IT IMPROVE DEMOCRACY?
• WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES?
• WHAT ARE SOME POSSIBLE NEGATIVES?
• WHAT TOOLS ARE NEEDED?
• HOW WILL IT FRAME POLITICS?
• WILL INSTANT ACCESS IMPROVE DEMOCRACY?
• WILL IT IMPROVE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION?

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STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVES

• DEMOCRACY REQUIRES A PARTICIPATING WELL INFORMED
  CITIZENTY
• e-DEMOCRACY PROMISES IT
• e-DEMOCRACY ALLOWS, IN REAL-TIME, REFORMING ACTS
  THAT REDRESS POWER IMBALANCES

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ADVANTAGES

• INSTANT ACCESS TO POLITICIANS AND PUBLIC VIA THE
  INTERNET OR E-MAIL
• INSTANT ACCESS TO WHITE HOUSE, STATE AND FEDERAL
  DEPARTMENTS
• INSTANT ACCESS TO WIRE SERVICES FOR GLOBAL
  EVENTS, IN REAL-TIME, RELEVANT TO INFORMING
  DEMOCRATIC PUBLIC NEEDS
• VOTING VIA THE WEB/INTERNET
• QUICK POLLS OF CONSTITUENCY BY LEGISLATORS ON
  ISSUES

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SOME POSSIBILITIES

• USING THE NET TO INFLUENCE POLITICS
• FREE LOBBYING LOBBYING NO LONGER JUST FOR THE
  WELL-CONNECTED INSIDERS
• COMMUNITY NETWORKS
• POLITICAL DESKTOP
• DIRECT DEMOCRACY
• CITIZEN-BASED E- DEMOCRACY
• MODERNIZATION OF DEMOCRACY

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MORE POSSIBILITIES

• PUBLIC REAL-TIME VOTING ON ISSUES
• OPEN COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AT GOVERNMENT MEETINGS
  AVAILABLE IN REAL-TIME BY TOTAL PUBLIC
• FOREIGN INPUT ON ISSUES VIA GLOBAL ACCESS
• GOODBYE PHYSICAL VOTING BOOTH
• CITIZEN ACCESS AND INPUT INTO GOVERNMENT
  DECISIONS AS THEY ARE BEING ENACTED INTO LAW
• AUTOMATIC VOTER AUTHENTICATION AWAY FROM BALLOT
  BOX STUFFING

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NEGATIVES TO OVERCOME

• ELITE e-POLITICALS ACCESS
• HACKERS VIRUSES
• TODAYS PUBLIC OPINION ENACTED INTO LAW
• LEARNING WHAT CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IS IN AN
  e-DEMOCRACY

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MORE TO DESIGN PROPERTLY

• "WORD OF MOUSE" - ONLINE POLITICAL ORGANIZING AND
  CAMPAIGNING (HIGH IMPACT, LOW COST)
• INFO-RICH VS. INFO-POOR
• HANDLING CONSTITUENT INFORMATION OVERLOAD
• INSTANT REFERENDA
• AUTOMATION OF GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS, "VIRTUAL
  SERVICE COUNTERS"

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FORECAST IMPACT OF NEW TECHNOLOGY ON FUTURE
DEMOCRACY

• TOOLS COMPUTERS, GIS SOFTWARE, NETWORK
  TECHNOLOGIES
• WILL PERMIT HIGHER LEVELS OF DEMOCRACY
  PARTICIPATION
• IN REAL-TIME AT LOWER COST AND AT GREATER
  DISTANCES
• INCLUDING MORE EFFICIENT CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
  THAN EVER BEFORE POSSIBLE

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THE CASE FOR INTERNET VOTING

• ACCESS TO MORE
• INFORMATION POLITICIANS
• ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT
• DAILY VOTING IN YOUR PAJAMAS
• INSTANT GLOBAL REACH
• MORE RELIABLE VOTING

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• BIBLIOGRAPHY
• gtBellamy, C. Taylor, J. (1998). Governing in
  the information age. Buckingham, UK Open
  University Press.
• gtGarson, G. D. (Ed.). (2000). Handbook of public
  information systems. New York Marcel Dekker
  Publisher.
• gtGronlund, Ake. (Ed.). (Jan. 2001).
  Communications of the ACM. Special Issue on
  e-Democracy. New York ACM.
• gtSchuler, D. (1996). New community networks
  Wired for change. Reading Addison-Wesley.