CARROLL@USC-ISIB.ARPA (08/24/84)
Some years ago I read a story about a presidential election in which only one person voted. Statistical sampling had advanced to the point that one specially chosen citizen could be questioned about many different things and the outcome of any contest predicted, thus saving many megabux in election costs. It was a great honor to be the person chosen, even though you knew that about 1/2 of the country would be mad at you. It didn't even matter which candidate YOU personally wanted, just how your answers reflected society as a whole. The subject was hooked into a polygraph device, not because of fear of lying, but to help measure the exact strength of feelings when the verbal answers were given. Anyone know title/author? Thanx, Steve (carroll@USC-ISIB) -------
goun%elmer.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (08/28/84)
From: goun%elmer.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (Roger H. Goun)
The story you're looking for was written by Isaac Asimov. I'm pretty sure it
appeared in the collection EARTH IS ROOM ENOUGH, but my copy is not in this
state. I'm somewhat less sure about the story title, but it might be
"Franchise."
-- Roger Goun
ARPA: goun%elmer.DEC@decwrl.ARPA
UUCP: {allegra, decvax, ihnp4, ucbvax}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-elmer!goun
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Tel: (617) 568-6311LS.SRB%MIT-EECS@MIT-MC.ARPA (08/30/84)
From: "Stephen R. Balzac" <LS.SRB%MIT-EECS@MIT-MC.ARPA>
Date: Friday, 24 August 1984 09:45-EDT
From: CARROLL at USC-ISIB.ARPA
To: SF-LOVERS at MIT-MC
Re: Author/title request
Some years ago I read a story about a presidential election in
which only one person voted. Statistical sampling had advanced to
the point that one specially chosen citizen could be questioned
about many different things and the outcome of any contest
predicted, thus saving many megabux in election costs. It was a
great honor to be the person chosen, even though you knew that about
1/2 of the country would be mad at you. It didn't even matter which
candidate YOU personally wanted, just how your answers reflected
society as a whole. The subject was hooked into a polygraph device,
not because of fear of lying, but to help measure the exact strength
of feelings when the verbal answers were given. Anyone know
title/author?
I think that the story is by Asimov, although I don't remember the
title. I think it appeared in an anthology of his called Laughing
Space though (but I can't be sure).bsa@ncoast.UUCP (The WITNESS) (09/03/84)
[gollum :-)] > From: CARROLL@USC-ISIB.ARPA > Some years ago I read a story about a presidential election in which only > one person voted. Statistical sampling had advanced to the point that one > specially chosen citizen could be questioned about many different things and > the outcome of any contest predicted, thus saving many megabux in election > costs. It was a great honor to be the person chosen, even though you knew > that about 1/2 of the country would be mad at you. It didn't even matter > which candidate YOU personally wanted, just how your answers reflected > society as a whole. The subject was hooked into a polygraph device, not > because of fear of lying, but to help measure the exact strength of feelings > when the verbal answers were given. Anyone know title/author? "Polygraph", indeed! It was one of Asimov's Multivac stories. I don't remember which. --bsa
paul@wjvax.UUCP (Paul Summers) (09/05/84)
>> From: CARROLL@USC-ISIB.ARPA >> Some years ago I read a story about a presidential election in which only >> one person voted. Statistical sampling had advanced to the point that one >> specially chosen citizen could be questioned about many different things and >> the outcome of any contest predicted, thus saving many megabux in election >> costs. It was a great honor to be the person chosen, even though you knew >> that about 1/2 of the country would be mad at you. It didn't even matter >> which candidate YOU personally wanted, just how your answers reflected >> society as a whole. The subject was hooked into a polygraph device, not >> because of fear of lying, but to help measure the exact strength of feelings >> when the verbal answers were given. Anyone know title/author? >"Polygraph", indeed! It was one of Asimov's Multivac stories. I don't >remember which. >--bsa The story in question is "Franchise" by Ike Asimov. -- Paul Summers Watkins Johsnon, Co. San Jose, Ca. (...ios!wjvax!paul)