Citizens participate in electronic governance in new novel
Every few years, voters get the chance to elect people whom they feel best represent their interests and themselves. But as in most cases, elected leaders change and go - to directions where their voters did not want to go, and the damage caused is often irreversible. When was the last time you voted for someone because of something they said before being elected and then they turn around completely and vote the other way once in office?
Some people say that the flaw in government lies in the humanity of our leaders while some believe the flaw is in the system itself. To understand how William Thien has developed a new method for a much needed redistribution of democracy enhancing your right to self determination, readers can join William Thiens journey of technology, politics, and democracy by reading his sci-fi novel "The Dream Chip".
"The Dream Chip" tells the tale of David O`Rourke, who finds employment as an Uploader for The Time Link Corporation, a developer and manufacturer of advanced computer devices and software. As an Uploader, O`Rourke is tasked to capture a complete and detailed snapshot of the contents of the benefactor`s brain when declared legally deceased. The benefactor pays The Time Link Corporation to provide long-term service so that their thoughts and memories can be stored for all eternity in the "Will of Memories", a gigantic vault of super computers that is maintained and protected by the corporation.
The Time Link Corporation has designed a software module called "The Common Council Software Program" which enables citizens to help control the activities of both local and higher level governments through the exercise of voting on important issues. It is through the implementation of this software that your right to self determination is empowered to the highest levels of government, essentially giving the voter direct control during an elected official`s tenure, controlling the official`s decisions.
Constituents receive email notification instructing them to vote "yes" or "no" on particular issues such as adding a new road or changing the tax structure in a given district. Voters are notified of changes to tax structure as well as any effect such changes to the community will have. Their elected officials must then vote in favor of the majority of respondents. A system of post cards is used as well for those who have no internet connection. It is a redistribution of democracy, handing control of official power directly to the citizenry.
However a group of bureaucrats and politicians, called the "Civicrats", find themselves victim of the system and targets for layoffs. Led by Daniel Wozel, the Civicrats struggle to prevent the federal implementation of "The Common Council Software Program". The Time Link Corporation suddenly becomes their target, and O`Rourke finds himself in a desperate quest for survival.
When asked about "The Dream Chip", author Thien states that what he has discovered is that readers frequently focus their attention on "The Common Council Software Program", as it is a new way for the reader to conceptualize how they can have control over their elected officials and the government, allowing voters to determine the outcome of each decision through the use of electronic voting via the internet or by using a system of post cards. He has found as well that there is little more frightening to the status quo than to have such a right to self determination available to voters. Nothing scares many career politicians more than relinquishing complete control to the voter, he says. In essence, such software would ultimately remove the necessity of having politicians.
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