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12th Annual Envisioning California Conference
September 21 - 22, 2000
State Capitol - Sacramento
e-democracy, education and initiatives ~
the future of the california republic
About The Conference...
The substantial growth of democracies throughout the world in the past half century is due, in no small part, to the explosion of electronic communication. From television to the Internet, citizens of all nations now have unprecedented access to the world marketplace of facts and ideas. Inevitably, this Electronic Information Age will – in varying degrees – impact all of our society’s activities, as did the Industrial Revolution.
In the 12th Annual Envisioning California Conference, E-Democracy, Initiatives & Education: The Future of the California Republic, discussants will examine how the new electronic technologies will alter life in California. Recruited to reflect California’s social, economic, and ethnic diversity, our panelists will examine how California’s problems may be resolved or redefined by the Information Age.
Panels
Dot.coms, Cyber Communities, and Wired Government:
The E-Future of California
California has long been a global pacesetter in politics, as well
as business, culture, and technology. Californians created the first
professional campaign management firm and the first personal computer.
Electronic voting, e-commerce and e-mail -- information technology
has transformed the way we campaign, do business, and communicate.
It will continue to alter the processes, structures, and values
of California. The question is how: how will the electronic age
transform government?
The Great California Experiment: Heterogeneous
Populations and Homogeneous Electorates
Researchers, policy makers, the media and the public continue to
grapple with the impacts of rapidly changing demographics in California.
One aspect of this challenge is both fundamental and generally overlooked:
The state's population may be diverse but the state's electorate
is not. The statewide electorate is far more affluent, older and
less diverse than are the people of California. Some have argued
that this means the issues and candidates decided by the statewide
electorate (governors and state ballot measures) may not be responsive
to the needs of all Californians and, indeed, may actually be used
to counter the demands of emerging populations. Is this view accurate?
If so, what if anything can be done?
Master Plan for the 21st Century:
Higher Education and Public Policy
In recent years, the complexity and controversy surrounding higher
education policy has dominated public debate in California. Discussion
surrounding admissions policies, retention and graduation rates,
and distance learning through the World Wide Web garners widespread
public attention. This panel will focus on ways to bring together
effectively the diverging interests in higher education to enhance
public policy and discussion.
Republic or a Democracy:
Legislatures in the Electronic Future
What are the implications of the computer age for a republican form
of government? The essential core of a republic is the representative
legislature: a group of citizens chosen by the people to make decisions.
A legislature can, in the words of James Madison, "refine and
enlarge" the public view which will then be "more consonant
with the public good than if pronounced by the people themselves.
But, the digital age has already altered the processes and assumptions
of a republic. The calls for Internet voting and on-line ballot
petitions have consequences far beyond increasing turnout and easing
communication between citizens and their representatives.
Electoral Disinterest: Can the Internet stimulate
voting and interest in politics?
The general public often feels that government is inaccessible,
non-representative, and quickly becoming irrelevant in our rapidly
moving society. Low voter turnout, attention to selected policy
issues with arguably limited public impact, and decreased participation
in political campaigns contrast sharply to increased volunteerism
amongst the youth, revitalization of religious groups, and calls
for mentorship. Will the Internet provide a vehicle to assuage political
apathy? If not, what will?
Unorthodox Communities:
Mapping the Real California
The spatial criteria for redrawing congressional and legislative
districts tend to be highly unimaginative and staid: city lines,
county boundaries and, in the controlling opinion of the California
Supreme Court, the State's four "natural geographical regions"
-- north coastal, north inland, south coastal and south inland.
But are there other definitions that would better reflect the human
and natural geography of California. How would writers and artists,
naturalists and environmentalists, corporations and utilities map
California?
Sponsored by:
- The Center for California Studies, California State University, Sacramento
- The Center for Southern California Studies,
California State University, Northridge
