Page 38 - Information and American Democracy Technology in the Evolution of Political Power

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Overview of the Theory 17:40
how characteristics of information might find a more prominent place
in the social science tool kit.

The second large step in my theory of information and democracy deals
with contemporary political change, and involves applying lessons from
the history of information in American politics to the present situa-
tion. The information-regime model of American politics and insights
from the study of interest groups and political participation provide
the means to investigate how contemporary information technology af-
fects democracy. In the current period, as in the Jacksonian age and era
of industrialization, the properties of information are again changing.
Technology is increasing the complexity and specialization of informa-
tion while at the same time decreasing its cost, thereby making abundant
political information and communication available to anyone with the
motivation to acquire it, provided they have access to information tech-
nology. In a general sense, the information regime model predicts that
such a large-scale change in the cost of information should lead to poli-
tical change, through its effects on the identity and structure of political
intermediaries.
As we see in Chapters 3 and 4, among the most important trends
predicted from theory are a decreasing association between the distri-
bution of traditional political resources and the capacity to organize
political action, like the Know Your Customer protest at the FDIC. This
phenomenon involves the substitution of information infrastructure for
organizational infrastructure. It suggests the rise of new ad hoc political
associations and groups, as well as altered strategies and commitments
of resources on the part of traditional organizations. It entails increas-
ing attention in the policy process toward “outside” lobbying and public
opinion, as well as increasing orientation toward issues and events, rather
than more stable interests and long-term political agendas.
My main thesis about contemporary political developments is that
technological change in the contemporary period should contribute toward
information abundance, which in turn contributes toward postbureaucratic
forms of politics. This process involves chiefly private political institutions
and organizations such as civic associations, as well as interest groups,
ratherthanformalgovernmentalinstitutionsrootedinlawortheConsti-
tution.Totheextentthatthecentralfunctionsoftheseprivateinstitutions
involvethecollection,management,ordistributionofinformationunder
circumstances where information has been costly and asymmetrically
distributed, the contemporary information revolution has the capacity

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