I have a plan for transforming politics.
What I saw: Politics is poorly designed
Democratic systems are inadequately designed. In particular, the US system. It wasn’t a bad design. It had some good parts. But it was “version 1.0.”
When it began, corporations as we know them today were illegal in America. Lobbying was deeply taboo. There was little information of any kind for citizens.There was nothing like “big media”. And there was nothing in the design of our political system about political parties. Over the next 240 years, much changed. Politics adapted. A few times, a few new laws changed some small things. But our system was neither fully designed nor redesigned.
It sorely needs it. While wealthy interests have learned to control politicians, citizens have not. If our elected officials were accountable to citizens many things would be different, and in wonderful ways.
Introducing political accountability
What is political accountability? Few people have an adequate answer. Most say it happens in voting. Americans vote and our politicians are not accountable. Elections do give accountability.
An employee is accountable to his or her boss. A student is accountable to his or her teacher. Accountability is a relationship. Why do we accept political accountability without this relationship? Because we mistakenly think nothing more is possible.
What specific things can politicians do to actually deliver accountability. Very little. Some try hard. A few make enormous efforts. None deliver. They can’t.
How can we change politics to allow politicians to deliver accountability? (Hint: no laws need to be changed.)
And how can we change politics to allow We, the People, to do hold them accountable?
Politics should be designed for accountability
Today, citizens disapprove of Congress. Many of its laws few people want. Instead, Congress could be our representatives creating laws that we desire. Instead of politics being something that frustrates people, it would be our way deciding what we all want. Instead of government being remote bureaucrats spending our money, it would be how we organize ourselves to build the future we want.
Introducing Rand
I’m a guy that was born in Seattle and went to college at Stanford. I studied applied math and computer science around 1980, but what I loved was problem solving. I stayed in Silicon Valley and worked. As a hobby, I studied how our thinking limits what’s possible for us. I married and had two kids and a career.
A few years ago, I was frustrated and resigned about politics. I used my hobby and found that our thinking was limiting what’s possible for us in politics. I used my problem solving skills and put a solution together. I tried to put together a team and launch a product. So far, I’ve failed. But possibilities abound. Join me.