Can 18th-Century American Democracy Survive 21st-Century Technology?
By
Jeffrey Rosen
Baker's choice. Dense with flavour, light on filler.
Summary
The article argues that America's 18th-century constitutional framework and democratic institutions are ill-equipped to handle the challenges posed by 21st-century technology, particularly the modern information environment. Drawing on Hamilton's Federalist No. 1, the piece examines how the Founders' assumptions about deliberation, reflection, and informed citizenry are undermined by today's rapid, algorithm-driven information ecosystem. It questions whether institutions designed for a slower, print-based era can survive the digital age's speed, misinformation, and polarization.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledThe American experiment would 'decide the important question, whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force.'
The Founders were hopeful, in part because the information environment of the late 18th century was fundamentally different from our own.
Our 18th-century institutions face an unprecedented test from 21st-century technology that the Founders could never have imagined.
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