A THEORY OF APOLITICAL GOVERNANCES
An Outline
The Hungarian Title
The English version of my book, NEW DEMOCRACY; Apolitical Governance, was translated into Hungarian and published in July, 1997, by LSI, Budapest. Appropriate faculty heads at two major universities, and prominent members of the government, received complimentary copies. My seminars and presentations helped to generate public interest
The subtitle of the Hungarian version was changed to, Which Way Forward? for two reasons. First, because Hungarians are becoming disappointed with ‘new’ democracy established after Soviet domination. Second, the word ‘apolitical’ is not well known to the public, and it seemingly negates all political influences upon public affairs.
The Revised English Version
These concerns prompted me to change the title of the English language original to DIRECT DEMOCRACY; A Study of Participatory Governances. I am also changing and editing the original manuscript, and clarify that by ‘apolitical governance’ I did not mean exclusion of political influence from governances, or outlawing political parties and activism. I meant that political parties and other special interest groups cannot be members of lawmaking bodies. Political parties and other self-interest groups cannot be eliminated according to my group theory of society.
Definition of Participatory Democracy
In my terminology, ‘direct democracy’ means lawmaking executed by the people of the community, and ‘participatory’ refers to broad-based involvement of the people and organized groups in societal affairs. Participation of political parties, other self-interest groups, professional experts, and public involvement in direct democracy are important criteria of the socio-cybernetics principle. This means self-governance, meaning that all members could take part in governing society (see Figure 1). Consequently, self-ruling could assure peaceful coexistence and could secure the future of civilization.
Free literature.
I have brought a few leftover volumes of the original unedited English books and its Synopsis, also, the text of this presentation, and the Internet publication, Incorporation of Participatory Direct Democracy Association (PDDA) in Winnipeg, Canada. All of these can be picked up, free of charge or downloaded from:
(old URL....pangea.ca/~kbradley/pdda/pdda.html)
New (2006) http://democracy.mkolar.org/pdda
The Intent of the Book; The concepts of true justice and equality
Direct Democracy (DD) presents a search for theories and methods aiming to create a more humane and just democracy than contemporary ones. I approach this task through seeking the fundamental aspects of life and the basic criteria of social coexistence in which respects people are truly equal. The assertion that ‘all men are born equal’ is only a slogan. We are equal only in the fundamental impositions upon life, and the basic needs of existence in a society. All people – the total majority – have equal ‘primary needs and interests’ to sustain. From these founding concepts new social norms of morality are developed.
Direct Democracy from Local to Higher levels
The ideal of direct democracy is the achievement of global harmony. The establishment of world-wide direct democracy may take some time. But its first applications are just as viable in a single municipality as nationally. Nothing should prevent citizens to select delegates from their own ranks to govern small towns. They could prevent representatives of special interests to rule and award fat contracts to their promoters. Citizens could stop issuing zoning bylaws in favor of land-developers, prevent urban sprawl with the accompanying decay of downtown, assess building values and taxes not in favor of money and power. Citizens could exclude political and economical patronage, the representatives of special interests from their own government, and govern themselves.
In contrast to some excellent socio-economic and political criticism, the analysis demonstrates the need for new, radical, measures to end human sufferings and the dominance of political and economic power in governances. The book, presents a set of new constitutional principles, and a model of democratic transformation into participatory governances.
Synopsis
DIRECT DEMOCRACY;
A Study of Participatory Governances
A book written by George S. Sagi
Fundamental and Basic Impositions. A Norm of Sustenance
Part One of the book begins with a brief review of a few significant theories of human nature. No generally accepted theory exists. The most famous theories are conflicting, and I found them unsuitable to be the foundations of studies for improving the social conditions of humankind.
Instead, I focus upon the impositions of nature, factual ‘Fundamental’ and ‘Basic Conditions’ that are truly equal for all human beings. When ‘fundamental needs’, food, shelter, and the protection of life, are absent then life ceases to exist. This assertion is true for any member of all of the species.
In addition to fundamental impositions, nature and society impose certain ‘basic’ conditions. A permanent basic imposition is the sexual drive that secures the sustenance of the race. But the sustenance of life in a society mandates the satisfaction of a number of additional ‘basic needs’. A healthful life cannot be sustained unless both fundamental and basic needs are satisfied. These vital needs are collectively referred to as ‘primary needs and interests’ of society, and defined as the minimum norm of sustenance; a mandate of ‘survival morality.’ When this new norm of sustenance becomes constitutionally enacted, and universally accepted, it will create material and cultural well-being for all of the people, and thereby has the promise of reversing the decline of human civilization.
Dual Potential
In the struggle to secure the primary needs of life, people are also pursue addition ‘wants’. These ‘tertiary drives’ are for extra benefits and privileges beyond primary needs. Tertiary category does not refer to unimportance. On the contrary, tertiary drives are responsible for both positive and negative achievements of humankind. Contemporary civilization has the infrastructure for the creation of general well-being and peace. A growing number of countries also have a number of nuclear, chemical, and biological, means of enormous mass destruction. In spite of the opportunity to share more equitably, modern civilization penalizes masses of people with enormous injustices. The world’s resources are not accessible for masses of people to secure their primary needs and interests. This dual potential gravitates the entire culture in negative direction. Unless these socially harmful manifestations of our civilization are eliminated, long-term sustenance remain endangered.
Part Two of the book focuses upon the causes that had transformed societies from tribal to modern cultures and led to the paradoxes of the contemporary political era. The study relies upon my ‘Group Theory’ of society, instead social classes. The analysis begins with ancient cultures, and gradually uncovers the causes of negative conditions that exist in modern society.
Human ancestors began gathering into cooperating groups for the enhancement of their survival. This biological tendency is seen as a ‘grouping imperative’ for the protection and enhancement of life. Members within a tribe lived peacefully with one another. Cooperation was mutual interest for the sake of survival. Leaders emerged spontaneously by merit for mutual benefits. Group analysis illuminates the harmful consequences of organized groups of power and influence.
Today, the once completely self-reliant, self-supporting, lone, human ancestor have become completely interrelated and interreliant creatures; citizens of differentiated, confrontational, societies. Ancient cooperative group culture evolved into a confrontational political culture. Only human intellect and creativity that has created this anomaly can stop and reverse its negative direction.
Part Three of Direct Democracy focuses upon the role of political parties and other powerful self-interest groups. Today, countless powerful organized groups exist. The most powerful ones dominate and ultimately govern. Unlike social classes, the common character of organized groups of power can be defined: ‘organized groups are promoters and representatives of special interests’.
The most important groups influencing social affairs are political parties. The primary function of political parties are advancement and protection of the interests of their economic supporters and their own interests. The interest of the people is, at best, secondary. Political governance, regardless of its colour, is self-interested and confrontational. The book presents four paradoxes of the political culture, that adversely influence the future.
The major ill symptoms of our society are caused by large group organizations. These are led by exceptional individuals. Some of these groups contribute to social values, while others are blinded by self-interests and harm public welfare knowingly or unknowingly. Political parties as lawmakers, are in privileged position to promote their own concerns, and set the rules of conduct for all other groups and individuals in a country. Due to the inherent nature of special interests, political parties cannot, and do not, govern in the primary interest of the people.
Rights and Freedoms
The exercise of some contemporary constitutional rights and freedoms are illusory. For instance, political elections, and the right to vote are examples. Contemporary political election methods do not fulfill the real meaning of freedom of choice.
Voters are influenced by economic power; money, bribery, and other underhanded methods. Political candidates are pre-selected, promoted by orchestrated propaganda, false promises, dirt-throwing and underhanded methods to discredit their opposition. All these are accompanied by public rallies, rousing music, cheerleaders, colored balloons, and other trappings. They create a false euphoria of real choices, freedom to vote and choose true representatives of their primary needs and interests.
Political elections create governances that cannot truly represent the vital concerns of the people. The more than three-hundred-years- old ideals failed in the long run. The ‘division of power’ became a system of divided political powers. Political parties representing opposing economical interests created an adversarial political culture instead ‘checks and balances’. The entire global civilization is thoroughly permeated by a political culture, typified by continuous struggles to dominate. The confrontational nature of politics presents the greatest danger of contemporary political systems, now on a global scale, that could lead to destruction of civilization.
Part Four of the book presents ‘A Theory of Good Governances’. A good form of constitutional governance must be a moral governance that represent the primary needs and common interests of all of the people. Its most democratic form is participatory direct democracy, not representative, as it is today. The creation of direct democracy is ‘survival interest’ of all of the people - even of those who are responsible for the paradoxes of our culture.
Principles of Participatory Direct Democracy:
1. Good governance is based upon constitutional moral principles. It is direct democracy of the people that can assure peaceful, cooperative coexistence and general well-being for all citizens, and lives in peace and cooperation with other societies;
2. Direct Democracy creates laws that assure impartial selection of citizens into lawmaking functions;
3. Its laws assure equal opportunities for individuals and the entire community, political parties, special interest groups, professional experts, to participate in governances, influencing lawmaking bodies through formal and informal methods;
4. It creates laws that protect the primary needs and interests of all of the the people;
5. Participatory direct democracy assures equitable rights, justice, freedoms, and actual means to secure wholesome, positive, fruition of individual talents;
6. It provides tangible incentives for socially positive achievements for individuals and private enterprises, express public recognition for distinguished works, while does not allow injurious businesses and demoralizing projects, and outlaw socially harmful activities.
Socio-Cybernetics Method of Implementing Direct Democracy
The best method of governance is self-regulation. All species, including human beings, protect themselves. Ther best protection for the common needs and vital interest of all members of society is the through socio-cybernetics self-regulation and control of its governing bodies. Science and technology utilize the same method, known as ‘cybernetics’ control which is capable of keeping a system functioning smoothly along set requirements. Self-regulation of the system is accomplished by continuous monitoring and feedback of its performance. When deviation occurs from set requirements, then the controlling apparatus automatically corrects the problem.
Society can benefit from a similar governing method based upon socio-cybernetics control of which is based upon the common needs and vital interest of each individual and all of the citizens. The goal of the design is the achievement of social harmony, general well-being, and peace, in accord with the principles of participatory direct democracy. This requires the exclusion of political parties, political methods, career politicians, and political representation of self-interests from lawmaking bodies. A new legislative system could be established, in which political party representations can be accommodated externally. This means that politicians and other special interest groups cannot be part of legislative bodies, but could exert their influence from the outside by formal submissions.
In the primary interest of all of the people, lawmaking should be exercised by the people. This principle of governances is best implemented by socio-cybernetics method, which assures that the people approve the constitutional principles of participatory direct democracy and can monitor the performance of their own governing bodies, and implement improvements if and when it deviates from constitutional principles and laws. This can be assured by using electronic communication facilities through which public can implement referendums, vote for laws and changes them when warranted. Participatory direct democracy can be implemented in a small town, as well as at all levels from municipal to federal governances.
FIGURE 1. illustrates a model of central governance of a participatory direct democracy. The main design criteria depicted are:
a. Governance is not hierarchical, but integrated within the entire community;
b. The division of legislative levels and functions that has multipurpose;
c. First, the elimination of political power and influence of special interest from lawmaking;
d. Second, to enhance the flow of information, thereby making the selection of issues and subsequent voting well informed, intelligent;
e. Third, to allow citizen delegates to the governing bodies to get to know one another, and to select the most gifted individuals to each level of legislative structure;
f. Forth, to enhance the socio-cybernetics principle of direct citizen participation in governances, using public access electronic communication and feedback facilities;
g. One method, among others, is dividing governing bodies into five tiers, each fulfilling different functions, in increasing levels of responsibilities and decreasing number of legislators. ( the area of the rectangles illustrates relative numbers of delegates). This would reduce the possibility of undue influences.
1. Citizens Forums (Forums) are the first division of governing levels and functions. Many of those should be established, all over the country, in small districts and towns in which people know one another well. The main function of the Forums are to provide direct participation of citizens in local and national policies, provide rulings in local disputes, and monitor the performance of local administrations. They would refer cases not resolvable either to the courts or the Parliament, depending upon the nature of a particular case.
2. The Parliament, is the first level of legislative functions. The task of parliamentarian’s is the selection of issues by priorities. The Parliament would receive submissions, requests, and demands from individuals, Citizens Forums, political parties, industrial, commercial, and financial interests, trade unions, and other self-interest groups. The selected priorities are passed to the House of Delegates;
3. The House of Delegates (the House) receives the recommended priorities and decides about the best methods of their implementations. The House recommend methods of implementations, would invite presentations, at least from three groups of independent professional experts to expose the merits and disadvantages of proposals. The decision of the House is passed to the Senate;
4. The Senate, after reassessing the recommendations of the two lower divisions, formulates laws and regulations. The Senate could also enhance its information through additional in-depth studies of experts. The laws and regulations are passed to the Presidency for declaration.
5. The Presidency consist of the President and two Vice Presidents. The Presidency makes the final review of the recommendations of the Senate, and in case of agreement the President would declare laws and regulations. In case of disagreement, laws and regulations should be enacted or rejected by public referendums.
The Presidency would not be in the hands of a single person because it would be filled by three outstanding individuals, who would have the trust and admiration of the citizens, because of their prior achievements. The president or members of the presidency could be nominated by the joint session of the legislative divisions and elected by the people.
The first division, the Parliament would have the largest number of legislators, selected by all citizens. Each higher division would have fewer number of delegates than the previous level. Members of the Parliament should be selected by the citizens from their own ranks, through intelligent, unbiased, well-informed, methods. One alternative is to start the selections in small districts, in which the residents know one another. Selections should be supervised in each electoral area by a member of the judiciary to assure the absence of nominations, and other influences.
Another non-political method could be random selections of citizens, but it should be unbiased, unlike juries selected for court duty today. Other unbiased methods of selecting citizens into the legislative assemblies could be used.
Educational Influences, Cooperative Legislation
Submissions and hearings to the Parliament would be formal, educational representations, with no debates, and power struggles to dominate. The legislative divisions would be quiet places for rational, well-reasoned, submissions. Citizen parliamentarians would receive formal presentations from, individuals Citizens Forums, political parties, and other special interest groups. The legislators would ask no questions, they would be listening, like students, learning from what is presented to them pro and con. This is a proposal for educational parliaments, learning about issues, opposing views, through rational presentations, replacing the present battlefields of biased arguments and contemptible personal accusations. In this manner, the parliamentarians become knowledgeable well-informed voters.
In this model, powerful special interest organizations continue operating almost the same way as before, with a few exceptions. Political parties would no longer form the government, instead their often conflicting presentations would provide thorough information from opposite points of views. The educational process would be further enhanced by invited experts. As mentioned before, political parties and other organized groups will be able to influence the new governances, but will not be able to enact laws or illegally interfere into lawmaking.
Every citizen should have direct access to a special branch of the Executive, reporting directly to the presidency through electronic communication facilities. Local Forums and members of small communities and districts, would monitor Local Administrations and have access to a special branch of the Presidency, through modern electronic communication facilities. These arrangements further enhance socio-cybernetics requirements.
There would be few restrictions placed upon free enterprises. The goal is to have disincentives for socially degrading businesses, and to stop socially harmful activities. For instance, the sale and manufacture of offensive weapons should be restricted. Through new methods of taxation and other policies, incentives would be provided for economic activities that have positive effects upon the lives of the citizens, and conversely restrict everything with negative effects upon society.
Voting, Selection of the Members of Legislative Divisions and Other Proposals
Voting in all divisions should be by secret ballots. The members of each division would be delegated by the members of the lower division. The process should assure the selection of the best persons for subsequent levels of responsibilities. The Parliament would send its most gifted members to the House, and in turn, the House into the Senate.
a. No promotion, propaganda, money, false accusations or any other means of influence should be allowed into the selection processes and elections.
b. The new constitution should mandate sever penalties against violators who would attempt to influence or interfere with the new impartial processes selecting citizen delegates, legislative bodies, presidency, elections, and referendums.
c. The selection processes should allow citizen delegates to get to know one another, and to select the most gifted individuals to the next higher level of legislative body.
d. As mentioned before, political parties and other self-interest groups should have new, external means to influence lawmaking.
e. The first time, under the chairmanship of a member of the former Provisional Party, all delegates would be seated in the Parliament. After parliamentarians voted for priorities, they would select delegates to the House. Similarly, the House would send part of its members to the Senate.
f. Five nominees for the presidency would be nominated by the Congress; the joint session of Parliament, the House of Delegates, and the Senate. Three members of the presidency would be elected by all eligible voters of the entire population.
g. A further enhancement of the socio-cybernetics principle of direct citizen participation in governances will be provided by feedback of public opinion via electronic communication facilities, mentioned earlier;
h. A relatively small percent of any local citizens should have a right to initiate a public referendum, and if it is successful, change local policies of the Administration, recall members delegated to be a member of the local forum, and initiate new local policies and projects. An extended consent would be required by a number of other districts to have a national referendum.
Provisional Party.
Under democratic conditions, it is necessary to transform contemporary democracy within given political governances. Leaders and members of the Provisional Party (PP) would have to declare, in a legally binding document, to commit themselves to establish participatory direct democracy, and resign after their term expired. Details of the new principles and methods of changes should be decided and implemented by the pioneers of direct democracy within the Provisional Party.
The pioneers of direct democracy will have important new roles in establishing and presiding in the new Forums, and assure smooth operations of local administrations. They should have important positions within the Judiciary, help establishing new local systems, during and after transformations, they should assure impartial selection of delegates, and help setting up, and supervise, the operation of the new system.
Unity
A unified effort of Direct Democracy organizations are necessary to convince the majority of citizens to vote for the Provisional Party. Progressive organizations such as environmentalist, human rights associations, racial, religious, gender protecting, and other progressive groups should be convinced to support the new party to gain power, help fighting for peace and against nuclear weapons, biological, and chemical agents. The most ideal of unified effort would be if all progressive organizations would become members of the Provisional Party, or at least, create a coordinating association of direct democratic movements.