Joshua Steele
November 13, 2012
English 115
Professor Macklin
The Role of Technology in Politics
Since the late 1990s, the Internet has changed the operational nature of politics by making it more accessible and efficient. While campaigns originally relied on tactics such as traditional mail, posters, telephone calls to voters, door-to-door canvassing, whistle stop tours, and news coverage to get the attention of voters, they are increasingly relying on the Internet through online advertisements and targeted voter outreach, with Barack Obama’s successful 2008 and 2012 campaigns serving as an excellent example of the increasing relevance of the Internet in politics. Despite the widespread benefits of technology in politics, there is also a downside to these changes. Some states have become increasingly reliant on computerized voting machines, which are prone to errors and vote-fixing by politicians.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, political campaigns evolved and led to the creation of many campaign tactics that still exist today, such as door-to-door canvassing and targeted messaging toward voters based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic level, and regional issues. During this time period, most newspapers were controlled by a political party, which caused them to become biased toward the party that owned the newspapers (Conner Prairie). The political parties used the newspapers to energize their supporters and lure new voters to their side. As technological advances occurred, candidates used these changes to their advantage. In the 1884 presidential campaign, Republican candidate James Blaine became the first presidential candidate to utilize the railroad as part of his campaign, in what is widely known as a “whistle stop tour.” Despite the fact that Blaine lost to his Democratic opponent, Grover Cleveland, future campaigns utilized the whistle stop tour to their advantage. A whistle stop tour is when a candidate for office travels across a state or country by train, while making speeches from the back platform of a train at a stop to supporters (Ohio Historical Society). The last candidate to use the whistle stop tour as a primary method of campaigning was Harry Truman in his successful presidential campaign in 1948 (Ohio Historical Society). Since then, presidential candidates and incoming presidents have used whistle stop tours occasionally. The most recent example was in 2009, when President Barack Obama embarked on a whistle stop tour from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. before his inauguration (CNN). However, the whistle stop tour is not the only technological change that has revolutionized campaigns.
In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, which allowed politicians to record messages that could be replayed to voters on discs. However, the phonograph became an obsolete device for politicians in the 1920s, due to the widespread use of radio. The radio became a popular method of one-way communication, since it allowed live broadcasts of speeches and other newsworthy events. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge became the first President to be broadcasted by radio from the White House. That same year, the Democratic and Republican parties utilized the radio to advertise and use their radio stations to reach out to voters (History: Political Radio). As an increasing number of Americans purchased radios, news networks such as NBC, ABC, and CBS were formed to efficiently reach households across the country. Due to the sharp increase in radio ownership by the beginning of the 1930s, politicians such as Franklin D. Roosevelt widely utilized the radio to reach millions of Americans with his famous “fireside chats” (History: Political Radio). Despite this important achievement, technology did not stop here.
Television was first invented in 1927 by Philo Farnsworth, a 21-year old inventor from San Francisco. However, television did not become popular until the late 1940s, since its growth was hampered by the Great Depression and the rationing of material goods during World War II. Since then, television has played a major role in politics (History of Television). In the 1952 presidential election, both Dwight D. Eisenhower and his Democratic opponent, Adlai Stevenson, aired television advertisements for the first time in the history of American politics (The Living Room Candidate). In the 1960 presidential election, technology was especially crucial in shaping the minds of voters, particularly during the presidential debates. In one debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, television viewers believed that Kennedy won the debate, due to his posture and clean-cut appearance. Radio listeners claimed that Nixon won the debate, because they viewed him as an excellent orator and were unaware of the fact that he was slouching and had not shaved before the debate. During the 1960s, television was also crucial in broadcasting major news events to the American people, such as the assassination and funeral of President Kennedy in 1963. Later on, graphic news coverage of the Vietnam War was influential, because it successfully persuaded many Americans to oppose the war (History of Television). Beginning in the late 1990s, a new medium would influence the world of American politics.
In the late 1990s, political campaigns began utilizing the Internet for their benefit. A candidate’s website typically contains his or her positions on important issues, significant endorsements from politicians and celebrities, an online donation form, an email subscription form, and information regarding volunteer opportunities for supporters. In addition to a website, candidates also maintain fan pages on Facebook and Twitter, among other social networking websites. In addition to these changes, campaign websites allow volunteers to set up online accounts and make phone calls to voters from the comfort of their own home, while making visits to a local campaign office unnecessary (Daily News). Despite these political achievements caused by technology, there are some negative effects of the increasing use of technology in politics.
One of the biggest controversies over the use of technology in politics is the use of electronic voting machines in several states. According to a study commissioned by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and MIT between 1988 and 2004, electronic voting machines are prone to errors and are less reliable than lever machines or machines that optically scan ballots. One of the most common errors is when a machine claims that you voted for Candidate A, when you actually voted for Candidate B, for example. The researchers with Caltech and MIT also stated that electronic machines are not any safer than a home computer and are therefore susceptible to hackers (National Geographic). On the other hand, proponents of electronic voting machines believe that it will bring an end to faulty punch-card ballots that caused the outcome of the 2000 presidential election to be disputed until the Supreme Court ruled in favor of George W. Bush (National Geographic). A significant number of Democrats refute these claims by arguing that George W. Bush stole the election in the crucial state of Florida by conspiring with his brother, then-Governor Jeb Bush and then-Secretary of State Katherine Harris.
In conclusion, technology has made a handful of positive contributions to elections, with the railroad, the phonograph, the radio, television, and the Internet each making an important contribution to the world of politics. In my opinion, technological changes have made elections more accessible to people, while allowing information to travel at a faster and more efficient pace. Despite these positive advances, plenty of people remain skeptical of electronic voting machines; because they believe that the machines are unsafe and an easy target for those looking to commit election fraud. As we have seen in the past, technology will not stand still. Therefore, we can expect technology to keep moving forward in the future.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, political campaigns evolved and led to the creation of many campaign tactics that still exist today, such as door-to-door canvassing and targeted messaging toward voters based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic level, and regional issues. During this time period, most newspapers were controlled by a political party, which caused them to become biased toward the party that owned the newspapers (Conner Prairie). The political parties used the newspapers to energize their supporters and lure new voters to their side. As technological advances occurred, candidates used these changes to their advantage. In the 1884 presidential campaign, Republican candidate James Blaine became the first presidential candidate to utilize the railroad as part of his campaign, in what is widely known as a “whistle stop tour.” Despite the fact that Blaine lost to his Democratic opponent, Grover Cleveland, future campaigns utilized the whistle stop tour to their advantage. A whistle stop tour is when a candidate for office travels across a state or country by train, while making speeches from the back platform of a train at a stop to supporters (Ohio Historical Society). The last candidate to use the whistle stop tour as a primary method of campaigning was Harry Truman in his successful presidential campaign in 1948 (Ohio Historical Society). Since then, presidential candidates and incoming presidents have used whistle stop tours occasionally. The most recent example was in 2009, when President Barack Obama embarked on a whistle stop tour from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. before his inauguration (CNN). However, the whistle stop tour is not the only technological change that has revolutionized campaigns.
In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, which allowed politicians to record messages that could be replayed to voters on discs. However, the phonograph became an obsolete device for politicians in the 1920s, due to the widespread use of radio. The radio became a popular method of one-way communication, since it allowed live broadcasts of speeches and other newsworthy events. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge became the first President to be broadcasted by radio from the White House. That same year, the Democratic and Republican parties utilized the radio to advertise and use their radio stations to reach out to voters (History: Political Radio). As an increasing number of Americans purchased radios, news networks such as NBC, ABC, and CBS were formed to efficiently reach households across the country. Due to the sharp increase in radio ownership by the beginning of the 1930s, politicians such as Franklin D. Roosevelt widely utilized the radio to reach millions of Americans with his famous “fireside chats” (History: Political Radio). Despite this important achievement, technology did not stop here.
Television was first invented in 1927 by Philo Farnsworth, a 21-year old inventor from San Francisco. However, television did not become popular until the late 1940s, since its growth was hampered by the Great Depression and the rationing of material goods during World War II. Since then, television has played a major role in politics (History of Television). In the 1952 presidential election, both Dwight D. Eisenhower and his Democratic opponent, Adlai Stevenson, aired television advertisements for the first time in the history of American politics (The Living Room Candidate). In the 1960 presidential election, technology was especially crucial in shaping the minds of voters, particularly during the presidential debates. In one debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, television viewers believed that Kennedy won the debate, due to his posture and clean-cut appearance. Radio listeners claimed that Nixon won the debate, because they viewed him as an excellent orator and were unaware of the fact that he was slouching and had not shaved before the debate. During the 1960s, television was also crucial in broadcasting major news events to the American people, such as the assassination and funeral of President Kennedy in 1963. Later on, graphic news coverage of the Vietnam War was influential, because it successfully persuaded many Americans to oppose the war (History of Television). Beginning in the late 1990s, a new medium would influence the world of American politics.
In the late 1990s, political campaigns began utilizing the Internet for their benefit. A candidate’s website typically contains his or her positions on important issues, significant endorsements from politicians and celebrities, an online donation form, an email subscription form, and information regarding volunteer opportunities for supporters. In addition to a website, candidates also maintain fan pages on Facebook and Twitter, among other social networking websites. In addition to these changes, campaign websites allow volunteers to set up online accounts and make phone calls to voters from the comfort of their own home, while making visits to a local campaign office unnecessary (Daily News). Despite these political achievements caused by technology, there are some negative effects of the increasing use of technology in politics.
One of the biggest controversies over the use of technology in politics is the use of electronic voting machines in several states. According to a study commissioned by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and MIT between 1988 and 2004, electronic voting machines are prone to errors and are less reliable than lever machines or machines that optically scan ballots. One of the most common errors is when a machine claims that you voted for Candidate A, when you actually voted for Candidate B, for example. The researchers with Caltech and MIT also stated that electronic machines are not any safer than a home computer and are therefore susceptible to hackers (National Geographic). On the other hand, proponents of electronic voting machines believe that it will bring an end to faulty punch-card ballots that caused the outcome of the 2000 presidential election to be disputed until the Supreme Court ruled in favor of George W. Bush (National Geographic). A significant number of Democrats refute these claims by arguing that George W. Bush stole the election in the crucial state of Florida by conspiring with his brother, then-Governor Jeb Bush and then-Secretary of State Katherine Harris.
In conclusion, technology has made a handful of positive contributions to elections, with the railroad, the phonograph, the radio, television, and the Internet each making an important contribution to the world of politics. In my opinion, technological changes have made elections more accessible to people, while allowing information to travel at a faster and more efficient pace. Despite these positive advances, plenty of people remain skeptical of electronic voting machines; because they believe that the machines are unsafe and an easy target for those looking to commit election fraud. As we have seen in the past, technology will not stand still. Therefore, we can expect technology to keep moving forward in the future.
Works Cited
1. Castro, Tony. “Teen volunteer’s support for Obama rings true.” Los Angeles Daily News 20 June 2008. Print.
2. “History of Television.” New York University. Web. November 13, 2012.
3. “History: Political Radio.” University of Virginia. Web. November 13, 2012.
4. Lovgren, Stefan. “Are Electronic Voting Machines Reliable?” National Geographic 1 November 2004. Print.
5. “Obama’s whistle-stop tour chugs on to Washington.” CNN, January 16, 2009. Web. November 12, 2012.
6. “The Living Room Candidate.” Museum of the Moving Image, 2012. Web. November 13, 2012.
7. “The Rough and Tumble World of 19th-Century Politics.” Conner Prairie Interactive History Park. Web. November 12, 2012.
8. “Whistle-Stops.” Ohio Historical Society. Web. November 12, 2012.
2. “History of Television.” New York University. Web. November 13, 2012.
3. “History: Political Radio.” University of Virginia. Web. November 13, 2012.
4. Lovgren, Stefan. “Are Electronic Voting Machines Reliable?” National Geographic 1 November 2004. Print.
5. “Obama’s whistle-stop tour chugs on to Washington.” CNN, January 16, 2009. Web. November 12, 2012.
6. “The Living Room Candidate.” Museum of the Moving Image, 2012. Web. November 13, 2012.
7. “The Rough and Tumble World of 19th-Century Politics.” Conner Prairie Interactive History Park. Web. November 12, 2012.
8. “Whistle-Stops.” Ohio Historical Society. Web. November 12, 2012.
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