| Abstract: | Abstract The United States and Japan lead the world in information technology. Yet they occupy opposite ends of the spectrum with respect to planning for the development of the information infrastructure—the central nervous system of a democratic society. While the Japanese expend great resources on centralized planning and monitoring the impact of the information society, United States officials are engaged in a mammoth deregulation exercise intended to dismantle government involvement in the competitive marketplace. While this policy may be appropriate for a period of technological innovation, it may be less efficacious in the period of consolidation, merger, and acquisition which usually follows. |
