Policymakers are learning that many of the events that are changing the world are not a response to their actions, but are generated by technologies that they may only dimly understand. Scientific achievements, such as the launching of Sputnik, have shaped national and international events, but little attention has been paid to the history of science. An information society is replacing the old industrial age. Historically, knowledge and power have gone hand in hand. The quality, speed, and nature of information spread by the media have altered the relationship between the government and the people. National domestic policies are being affected as politicians move toward the television cameras to push a particular issue. As sovereign governments find it harder to control their affairs in the information age, changes will occur in the way governments operate, in their economic policies, in their national objectives, and in the way information is used. Tomorrow’s winners will be those who can understand and direct change.
