The Discourse Around Technological Progress and the Future of Work

The political and public sphere reflects on the ongoing restructuring process of the American economy in many ways including direct political debates in Congress such as committee hearings or public debates that are reflected in media discourses. The issues of automation, the future of work, and the sharing economy platforms are three more specific areas that are discussed in the political and public realm in this regard. Examining these discourses is significant because they contribute to technological progress. The way certain subjects are treated in discourses, for example in political institutions such as Congress, influences areas such as research or adoption of technology and public policy, and it influences acceptance of technology in many ways. The public discourses reflect these issues likewise and contribute to the virality of knowledge around technology which can lead to enthusiasm, acceptance, concerns, or fears about technological progress. The public and the political discourses on these subjects influence and reinforce each other. Through a quantitative and qualitative analysis of specific terms, themes, and contexts, this book illustrates how certain aspects of technological progress are reflected in political and public debates and contributes to our knowledge of how political actors and the public view and respond to technological developments of recent years such as further automation, digitization, or the rise of the sharing economy. These developments and the discourses treating these subjects contribute to the assessment of the future of work in the USA, including which issues and policies are of interest to the public and are addressed by political stakeholders.