For a process that plays such a major role in determining the future leader of the world's most powerful country, the Iowa Caucuses can seem archaic, opaque, and hard to understand. But this year, thanks to mobile tech and social media, they're about to become more open and transparent-an evolution that could also play an outsized role in influencing the outcome of the nation's first presidential contest.
This is a timely topic with the Iowa caucuses this week. The Influence of Technology on Politics Can, and will, the next generation of politicians exploit the communication mediums available to them? Will the new communication mediums have the power to influence public opinion? Will politicians be the victims of technology, or will they use it to their benefit?
If you're anything like me, you reach for your smartphone as soon as you wake up to check email and respond to texts. The rest of the day, you're constantly on a tablet, mobile device, laptop or desktop for personal or professional use. You're messaging, browsing, friending, tweeting and sharing.