Low-transaction-cost organizing
Jun 20th, 2008 by Jon Stahl
The always-insightful Mark Schmitt has some interesting thoughts on the significance of internet-enabled low-transaction-cost issue organizing:
Low transaction-cost organizing will present many challenges to the way we think about politics and how to regulate it. Much of the regulation of money in politics, for example, is based on limiting organized money (PACs, bundling) because some people can organize and others can’t. Instead, perhaps, it should seek to encourage greater organizing, reduce the transaction costs even further. And, of course, even with low transaction costs, real political equality is impossible — and perhaps we will even come full circle, where everyone can organize and be heard, and then once again the only ones who matter will be the ones who bring the really big cash. But for now, it’s all an improvement, just as it’s an improvement to be able to find infinitely new ways to find status and satisfaction.
