American "democracy" is in trouble because our System, a Constitutional Republic, no longer fits our Situation. "Monster Problems," the seemingly impossible-to-solve existential kind, are growing and the System itself is threatening to revert to Autocracy. Normal "solution approaches" like street demonstrations, lobbying elected officials, and relying on the courts, cannot stem the slide. For over twenty years, we at the Center for Wise Democracy have been predicting the disassembly of our System and working on a "Holution," a safe way to transition to the next level of democracy ... i.e. Wise Democracy. We have developed a set of social innovations that make it possible to facilitate all the people to come together as "We the People," face and resolve the Monsters and shift our System to "Wise Democracy". The Wise Democracy Project is a set of 8 accessible steps by which this can happen. We hope you will investigate this new option with curiosity. The appropriate response is ... "Yippie! So there is a way to achieve the GOOD SOCIETY. ... This must happen!"
Below are some "Monster Problems" growing in the U.S.
- The threat of dictatorship, an increasingly captured Judicial system, Congress, media, etc. A breakdown of the rule of law, threats to voting rights, weaponized DOJ, the unraveling of public institutions, fake news, etc. (See "How we can save American democracy")
- Increasing polarization, media silos, separate versions of "truth," lack of shared vision;
- Radicalized people, conspiracy theories, social media info-sphere, rage without evidence, calling for violence, lack of listening;
- Pandemic mismanagement, government mandates, distrust of science, never-ending disease variants;
- L-shaped distribution of wealth and power, U.S. is an oligarchy, poverty, homelessness, oppressive school debt for young adults;
- Increased corruption, special interests dominating the public interest, legal bribery of politicians, evolving doors for executives;
- Poor collective thinking, partisan gridlock, avoiding the BIG issues, people afraid to look at the news, massive need for governmental reform;
- Declining trust in elections, the courts, governments and one another; losing the spirit of national community; loss of the American dream;
- Systemic racism, misogyny, caste-system prejudice, violence directed at minorities;
- Immigration policies that aren't working, generating fear;
- Destruction of the commons ... e.g. aquifers, forests, trust, spirit of community;
- Our system is destroying our people ... e.g. special interests dominate the public interest; there is a crisis of meaning where making money has become top priority; our food system builds unhealthy bodies and destroys soils; over-consumption is encouraged
- .... and many more
Our SYSTEM is causing these Monsters
Most people think in terms of there being only two possible Systems of governance: "democracy" and autocracy. At the Center for Wise Democracy we call them the "Triangle" and the "Box" Systems. The Triangle System is autocratic with a "Dear Leader" in charge and where loyalty and obedience to the Dear Leader is essential. In the 18th Century the U.S. transitioned from the Triangle to the Box System by replacing the King with a Social Contract, the U.S. Constitution. This is basically the supposedly fair "rules of the game, setting up a new level of freedom and self-determination for people to pursue their own happiness. Also this game-like design sets up competition as the basis of our governance, economics and culture.
Even though people, organizations, political parties and branches of government compete, the Box System still can generate a measure of collective intelligence, but only as long as the people are in-dependent. As they become increasingly inter-dependent, the win/win nature of the competition breaks down. It becomes unfair and collectively stupid where "Monster Problems" like the ones listed above are generated. When the Founders set up the Box System, the 18th century was a different world. Citizens could just "pursue their individual happiness" and collectively things would work out. But today, this Constitutional Republic design that we mis-label as "democracy," is necessarily breaking down. Unless we consciously act to assure the Circle System, the Box will inevitably be replaced by the Triangle. Good news: the transition to the Circle is accessible.
Good news: There is a "Holution"
There is a set of Social Innovations that makes it possible to address and resolve each Monster individually ... and to bring about transformation to the Circle System. The Wise Democracy Project is an actionable 8-step strategy that uses the social innovations to add the missing "We the People" conversation to what we already have. Basically, it provides a way that all of us can step back periodically, face Monster Problems together respectfully and creatively, reach shared conclusions and provide responsible leadership to government, the economy and the culture. It sets up an ongoing conversation that builds national community and counteracts the current destructive political conversation. With this added "We the People" conversation We not only achieve breakthrough progress on Monster issues, but over time We transition to the Circle System and stop creating Monsters in the first place. The ultimate authority in America needs to shift from 1) the "Dear Leader" of the Triangle, back to 2) the Social Contract of the Box, and then to 3) the living "We the People" of the Circle. In the Wisdom Council Project there is no identifiable risk. Everything remains the same at first, except for the added We the People conversation. As the process continues it will dawn on us (and the Supreme Court) that 'We the People' of today" are the ultimate authority, not the "We the People" of the eighteenth century.
"The Wise Democracy Project" is accessible. There are 8 steps, each one is beneficial. At first, these steps just create a voice of the "Public Interest", which can influence the normal battle of Special Interests. But as more people participate in the conversation this voice grows to impact legislators, philanthropies, NGO's, the media, the market, the culture and the motivations of our people. Partisan battling and legalized bribery will be reduced so legislators become free to serve the Public Interest. And as "We the People" take on greater responsibility and agency our System transitions to the Circle. ... Note! There is no identifiable risk to any of this. It's just adding a voluntary conversation to what exists.
"The Wise Democracy Project" is accessible. There are 8 steps, each one is beneficial. At first, these steps just create a voice of the "Public Interest", which can influence the normal battle of Special Interests. But as more people participate in the conversation this voice grows to impact legislators, philanthropies, NGO's, the media, the market, the culture and the motivations of our people. Partisan battling and legalized bribery will be reduced so legislators become free to serve the Public Interest. And as "We the People" take on greater responsibility and agency our System transitions to the Circle. ... Note! There is no identifiable risk to any of this. It's just adding a voluntary conversation to what exists.
Naturally, we need to start facing our Monster Problems in a creative, collaborative spirit. But our so-called "democracy," the Box System, pretty much prevents this. Instead, it sets up a competition among special interests for new policy. And the conversation is based in judgment rather than creativity. The types of conversation it establishes, like debate, discussion, dialogue, deliberation, negotiation, input, and decision-making, which work well within the Box System are often preliminary to judgment (i.e. voting). But a different kind of conversation is required if all of us are to come together, be collaborative, address the impossible-seeming Monsters and achieve unity. We call this different kind of conversation "choice-creating," it's somewhat opposite to "decision-making."
Choice-creating is the kind of thinking that often arises naturally in a crisis, where people rise to the occasion and work together to accomplish miracles. Dynamic Facilitation reliably evokes choice-creating in small groups of people, while the Wisdom Council Process evokes choice-creating in a large System of people. The Wise Democracy Project lists the steps needed for leveraging ourselves out of our current national predicament. (The ToBe Project lists similar steps for establishing collective intelligence at the global level.)
Choice-creating is the kind of thinking that often arises naturally in a crisis, where people rise to the occasion and work together to accomplish miracles. Dynamic Facilitation reliably evokes choice-creating in small groups of people, while the Wisdom Council Process evokes choice-creating in a large System of people. The Wise Democracy Project lists the steps needed for leveraging ourselves out of our current national predicament. (The ToBe Project lists similar steps for establishing collective intelligence at the global level.)
Video: "American democracy is collapsing: A BREAKTHROUGH is needed"
This talk was presented to the Fix Democracy First network just after the second election of Donald Trump. (45 min)
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Because the Wise Democracy Project will transform the System to real democracy, or "Wise Democracy, the Monster Problems can start going away
To describe all the ways this Wise Democracy Project will affect the Monsters gets complex. Below are just a few hints about what can happen.
- The collapse of America democracy and the unraveling of public institutions — the takeover of autocracy, fake news, a captured Supreme Court and Congress, foreign manipulation of elections, breakdown of the rule of law, threats to voting rights, weaponized DOJ, etc. ... The usual "solution approaches" ... e.g. "fighting" for democracy by holding placards on street corners with lots of people or filing court cases to enforce the rule-of-law are becoming irrelevant. These two approaches are poor forms of conversation. We need talk seriously and thoughtfully and respectfully about what's going on (i.e. co-determine the Truth), what We want (i.e.co-create our shared Vision) and what We are going to do (i.e. Come together on Strategy, the best way to go forward). ]See "How we can save Democracy"]
- Increasing polarization, information silos, separate versions of "truth," no shared vision; ... The Wise Democracy Project facilitates a new kind of public conversation where people listen to one another and co-determine "what is truth", "what we want", "how to get there" ... So just the new conversation by itself is a solution to mis-information, information silos, polarization, recognizing the truth, etc.
- Radicalized people, conspiracy theories, rage without evidence, calling for violence lack of listening ... There is no creative, collaborative thinking process in our System. There is just back and forth discussions, broadcast propaganda, expert analysis, small-scale dialogues and the like ... then a vote where individual judgments are added. Of course, these generate dysfunctional results. The missing conversation is one ongoing whole-nation choice-creating conversation where we all talk together about the Monster issues and reach shared conclusions. The Wise Democracy Project adds back this missing "We the People" conversation, turning diversity and emotions into assets rather than liabilities.
- Pandemics, excess government mandates, distrust of science, Covid variants ... Our System focuses on individual freedoms with little regard for the collective need. In a pandemic, for instance, "herd immunity" is needed but government mandates go against the basic premise of individual freedom. How might we resolve this? The Wise Democracy Project provides a way for the people to talk over this dilemma and work out a multi-layered plan for what's needed. "We the People" can choose what we want to do in a way that experts and governments can't. ... Our conclusions might include government monitoring, support for research, questions to science, etc.
- L-curve distribution of wealth and power, U.S. as an oligarchy, poverty, homelessness ... Our current System is like the game of Monopoly: In the end one player wins everything and everyone else loses. What's missing is for the spirit of national collaboration and community to become more important in people's minds than "winning the competition." The Wise Democracy Project provides a way that can happen through voluntary shifts of motivation.
- Increasing corruption, special interests dominating the public interest, legalized bribing of politicians and judges ... There is little sense of the "Public Interest" in our current System. Instead we have set up a competition of Special Interests with the presumption that ultimately the "invisible hand" will somehow make things better for everyone. But the invisible hand doesn't work in an oligarchy. The Wise Democracy Project creates a clear expression of the Public Interest and a clear desire among all of us to realize our shared vision.
- Unraveling of public institutions —threatened autocracy, fake news, runaway Supreme Court rulings, foreign manipulation of elections, breakdown of the rule of law, threats to voting rights, captured agencies/revolving doors for executives, etc. ... The Wise Democracy Project establishes a new collective thinking capability and a new public, living entity, "We the People." We can then establish trustworthy public institutions and reshape our social contract.
- Partisan gridlock, avoiding the BIG issues, politicians incapable of listening, threatened loss of democracy ... Quality leadership cannot come from within the partisan battle over incomplete solution strategies.. Key is to transcend the partisan battle by enlisting the participation of all people in creatively solving the problems. This is a higher form of democracy, what we call "Wise Democracy." We face the Monster Problems one at a time, reach unity on what needs to happen and provide responsible direction to elected officials, the marketplace and the culture.
- Declining trust in government, elections, the courts and one another; loss of the spirit of community ... When the people face difficult problems and come together on what's needed, this builds trust. When "We the People" of the 21st century take responsibility for our System and its institutions, this builds trust as well. Now, in unity, we can start designing a System for the 21st century.
- Systemic racism, mysogyny, prejudice, violence directed at minorities ... Our current System is rooted in "decision-making", which literally means "cutting away" ... e.g. a judging process that "cuts away" the minority people, the minority viewpoints, our feelings, etc. On the other hand a choice-creating conversation minority voices and feelings are necessary to achieve creative shifts and breakthroughs.
- Destruction of the commons ... e.g. aquifers, forests, trust in government, spirit of community ... The Tragedy of the Commons happens because we are structured to be self-interested parties taking from the commons, with essentially no provision for the well-being of the whole. The Wise Democracy Project provides for us to restructure our System so we can responsibly manage the commons.
- Our system is destroying our people ... e.g. special interests dominate the public interest; there is a crisis of meaning where making money has become top priority; our food system builds unhealthy bodies and destroys soils; over-consumption is encouraged ... Together we are all riding in an airplane that's heading toward a mountain.. We are stuck in a System that is forcing us to over-consume. Both government and the economy are corrupt in this way. Increasingly people feel the desperation of our situation. With the Wise Democracy Project a smart and powerful "We the People" comes into existence, where "we all" can understand our situation together and design a viable remedy.
- etc.
We already have experience with this process at large scale!
This short (5 min) video (in English) describes one national Wisdom Council experiment in Germany. Note: German-speaking governments refer to the Wisdom Council as "Bürgerat" (i.e."Civic Council").
Additional resources
- Video Seminar (5-parts): "Essential Wisdom for Solving Society's Biggest Issues
- Article: 'A Rebirth of 'We the People', Jim Rough, The Good Society, Penn State University Press, Volume 13, Number 2, 2004 pp 44-48
- Video: ... Healing Polarization in Society (4min)
- Handout ... "How to Fix America ... And Become a Real Democracy"
- Chart: Seven strategies to achieve the "Ideal of Democracy" in America
- Book (2002) “Society’s Breakthrough! Releasing Essential Wisdom and Virtue in All the People” by Jim Rough