| The Athenian model of representative | | | | Politicians end up spending lots of their time in |
| participatory democracy was both exclusive and | | | | workplace (and out of it) raising funds via |
| immediate. It excluded women and slaves but it | | | | "contributions" which place them in hock to |
| allowed the rest to actively, constantly, and | | | | "contributing" people and corporations. This |
| consistently contribute to choice making | | | | anomaly can't be solved by tinkering with |
| processes on all levels and of all kinds (including | | | | marketing campaign finance laws. It reflects the |
| juridical)! This was (barely) manageable in a town | | | | real costs of packaging and disseminating info. To |
| 20,000 strong. | | | | restrict these activities would be a disservice to |
| The application of this model to larger polities is | | | | democracy and to voters. |
| rather much more problematic and leads to | | | | Marketing campaign finance reform in its current |
| serious and ominous failures. | | | | (myriad) forms, is, thus, largely anti-democratic: it |
| The issue with the gathering and processing of | | | | limits access to info (by reducing the cash |
| info - a logistical constraint - is probably to be | | | | obtainable to the candidates to spread their |
| totally, satisfactorily, and comprehensively | | | | message)! By doing so, it restricts option and it |
| resolved by the application of of PC networks to | | | | tilts the electoral machinery in favor with the |
| voting. Even with existing technologies, election | | | | haves. Voters with cash and education are able to |
| outcomes (regardless with the size with the | | | | obtain the info they require by themselves and at |
| electorate), could be announced with excellent | | | | their own expense. The haves-not, who rely |
| accuracy within hours. | | | | exclusively on info dished out by the candidates, |
| Yet, PC networks are unlikely to overcome the | | | | are probably to be severely disadvantaged by |
| second obstacle - the issue with the big | | | | any kind of marketing campaign finance reform. |
| constituency. | | | | The solution would be to decrease the size with |
| Political candidates in a immediate participatory | | | | the constituencies. This could be carried out only |
| democracy require to maintain each and each | | | | by adopting an indirect, non-participatory kind of |
| member of their constituency (potential voter) | | | | democracy, maybe by abolishing the immediate |
| informed about their platform, (if incumbent) their | | | | election (and campaigning) of most currently |
| achievements, their individual, and what | | | | elected workplace holders. Immediate elections in |
| distinguishes them from their rivals. This is really a | | | | manageable constituencies will probably be |
| massive quantity of info. Its dissemination to big | | | | confined to multi-tiered, self-dissolving ("sunset") |
| constituencies requires outlandish amounts of cash | | | | "electoral colleges" composed exclusively of |
| (tens of millions of dollars per marketing | | | | volunteers. |
| campaign)! | | | | |