Problems of Scope
Any alteration of communication by electronic networks has the potential to affect democracy as well. Media like the printing press, radio, and television have all altered the political discourse.
Hence, many citizens and politicians alike point to the Internet as a
cure for what ails American government. While the Constitution guarantees
all people equal access to the public forum, in reality obstacles such as
class and race have denied Thus, enthusiasts see electronic networks as a means for revitalizing
citizen involvement in democracy. Two If we posit that democracy in the modern sense shall be synonymous with
open discourse and unlimited access to information we must ask "how such
democracy (is) to distinguished from simple noise (Ess
231)?" In other
words,
given the dissimilarity and emmensity of modern society, is it possible to
reach any type of coherent consensus on issues
which affect our lives?
Moreover,
should such consensus even be the goal of
years ago Vice-President Al Gore
spoke
of "forging a new Athenian age of democracy (Economist
21)," by
utilizing
the capabilties presented by the Internet for increased popular participation.
Yet one must remain
wary of such utopic reminisces for past forms of
discourse.
The Athenian model hinged on the notion of
direct participatory democracy:
each citizen served as his own representative in government, deciding on
matters ranging from the passage of laws to technical procedures. But
this
system worked in part because
members of the polis were a homogoneous
group
of wealthy, Greek men who shared similar status, if not
goals. In
contemporary
society, postmodernists note, the multiplicity of voices which stems from
a diverse array of
backgrounds appears to complicate such a procedure. In addition, the
Athenian
bodies of governance never exceeded more than one thousand people at any given
time.
It seems unlikely that any electronic technology, regardless of its
ability
to enhance communication, could manage the desires of millions in a reasonable
manner.
democratic discourse?
