Congressional perceptions of emergent telecommunications

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an interview survey of congressman and staff in regard to their perceptions and attitudes on the potential use of emergent telecommunications for communicating with constituents. Six channel configurations are identified as representative of emergent telecommunication characteristics. The paper describes the potential usefulness, advantages, and disadvantages of each emergent channel, as perceived by U.S. Representatives and senior staff in the stratified judgement sample taken from the 93rd Congress. The results indicate that as a group the respondents perceive cable television and information retrieval as potentially the most useful emergent channels, closed circuit television and the videoconference as somewhat useful, and cable TV polling and the video- phone as least useful. The effects of using emergent channels are perceived as being beneficial or detrimental, depending on the personal and political value judgements of the particular Representative or staff person, and on the specific conditions of use and applicable public policy assumptions. But because of the essential importance of constituent communication to congressman, both as politicians and public officials, many have favorable perceptions of new channels which offer a clear advantage over existing channels and which meet a well-defined need.