Author(s)
Source
Good Society, Vol. 20, No. 22, pp. 171-178 (2018)
Summary
Technological changes threaten democracy, producing polarization and fragmentation. Deliberative conventions of ordinary citizens could help restore a common understanding of issues.
Policy Relevance
Democracy will require innovation to survive.
Main Points
- The Internet has triggered a crisis of democracy; fundamental shifts in technological context require society to rework critical parts of their social contract.
- In the twentieth century, people's understanding of their role within a democratic government was defined by two technologies:
- Television produced a large-scale democratic understanding unprecedented in the history of human society, exposing many people to a common story.
- The modern public opinion poll was debuted, and its use spread broadly.
- The idea that "the people" could govern became plausible.
- Society has entered the post-broadcast age; today's technologies produce fragmentation, polarization, and fodder for saboteurs and critics of democracy.
- James Fishkin’s idea of Deliberative Polling could help restore a collective understanding of the role of “the people.”
- Congress could mandate a Deliberative Poll on fundamental constitutional topics such as the idea of a balanced budget amendment, the desirability of reducing federal power, and the question of money in politics.
- The law could require five simultaneous citizens' conventions in five cities.
- Each convention would include 500 randomly selected Americans.
- Delegates would be polled as to their views, then given informational materials presenting both sides of an issue.
- Delegates would discuss the informational materials.
- At the end, delegates would be polled again to reveal changes in their views.
- Lawmakers would be obligated to consider the results of these conventions.
- Congress is unlikely to adopt such policies, which would be expensive; however, democracy needs some type of innovation to survive the current wave of global skepticism.