Chapter 8, The Future of Democracy, Four Score and Seven Years from Now Summary and Analysis

The American experiment has exceeded the Founding Fathers' expectations. Most thought the Union would last no more than thirty to fifty years. Instead, the United States has consistently grown and expanded. The question Stewart asks the reader to ask herself is whether the growth will continue. But speculating is difficult. Nonetheless, Stewart proposes to bring the reader the absolute truth.

In the first version of the future, America's reliance on technology substantially reduces our fundamental humanity. Democracy will not be able to combat the tools we've created. Power will be centralized in the hands of the few. Instead, future elections will probably involve learning about candidates through neutrally inserted chips, the information which will be set by a variety of powerful institutions. This...