A future's approach to enhanced television and governance

Television has been a significant factor in American political life since the expansion of network news in the early 1960s. It serves as the primary means by which Americans get their political information. Likewise, it develops their sense of how politics and politicians operate in our democracy. This paper examines how enhanced television technologies might be applied to political programming, as well as the effects such changes might have on the future of participatory democracy. Following a series of conjectures regarding the future application of enhanced television technologies to politics, the potential benefits and drawbacks of interactive television on governance are discussed. Using the social shaping approach to technology foresight, it is demonstrated that forecasts of technology and governance are ultimately dependent upon the normative assumptions of the investigator.

► Demonstrates that interactive television has a rich history dating back to the 1950's.
► Offers conjectures about the future of interactive television given changes in technology and pressures from viewing audiences.
► Explains the normative assumptions underlying attitudes about the role of enhanced television in American democracy.