The Null Device

Democracy 2.0

Accelerated Democracy is a sie looking at four technological possible future scenarios in which technology is used to enhance the democratic process. These include personal voting agents, vote value being based on participation, location-based referenda and post-vote tracking of election promises; all are illustrated with mock-ups of products, screen shots and newspapers, and point-counterpoint arguments.

It is an interesting exercise, if a bit light on consideration of risks and unintended consequences in places. For example, the site doesn't raise the possibility that if a voter's vote is made proportional to their amount of participation, the very fact that the "one person, one vote" formula has been broken opens the possibilities of the vote value formula being tweaked in a partisan fashion to advantage one side or another. (Theoretically the agency handling this would be independent, though in practice, the question is how much money must be spent and/or how many levels of political appointments must be negotiated to corrupt it.) Post-vote tracking does sound feasible though, and a simple advisory form of it could be implemented today by groups of enthusiasts with websites. (via bOING bOING)

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