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Welcome to... |
SelfGovernanceScience.com |
21stCenturyCivics.com |
535PKQs.com |
3 domain names. 3 objectives. 1 academic objective: Build broad based public support for making Self-Governance (S-G) Science an accredited field of study.
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"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” Carl Bard, various .
Imagine stumbling upon an extraordinary medical device inadvertently left behind by a group of sightseeing aliens from a nearby star system. Extraordinary because, when used correctly, it can perform unbelievable miracles -- as in, every form of cancer: cured. Every kind of chronic disease: cured. Every known infectious disease: cured. But there's more. It can also do everything from make the weak and sickly strong and healthy, and transform obese bodies into Olympic caliber physiques -- to give everyone a perfect set of teeth and reverse baldness. It can even put a spring in everyone's step. However, when used incorrectly, the devise produces the exact opposite result: the healthy become diseased and develop cancers. The strong and fit become weak and sickly -- the slim: obese. Healthy teeth begin rotting. Even the most optimistic spirits develop chronic depression -- and on and on. Turns out, S-G models have the same properties. If voters in a democracy use the wrong, or incorrect, model to identify, recruit and/or elect the members of their national legislature, at some point in the life cycle of their democracy, the individuals the voters increasingly start electing to represent them and safeguard their interests will almost certainly be well meaning and sincere for the most part. But they will also desire the office they are being elected into, and the perks and privileges that come with it, far more than they desire doing what is in the best economic, financial, fiscal and/or societal (EFFS) interests of their constituents and nation. Ultimately, it will be the three major "pathogens" of a democracy/CR -- "self-servingism," political ambition and political power-lust -- particularly and especially in its national legislature, that seal a democracy's (or a constitutional republic's) fate. Meaning, even the strongest and healthiest democracies/CRs will inexorably become weaker and unhealthier. Small, easily solvable EFFS problems will eventually metastasize into large, unsolvable problems. This will lead to societal ills like extreme poverty, extreme economic hardship and extreme S-G disillusionment -- which, in turn, will lead to democratic institutions breaking down, citizens turning against each other, separating into tribes and factions -- and on and on until, at some point, the democracy becomes a democracy in name only. However, should voters -- at any point in their democracy's downward spiral -- begin using the right, or correct, model of S-G to elect the members of their national legislature, the members they start identifying, recruiting and electing will have (relatively speaking) zero desire for: a.) elected office, b.) a career in politics, and c.) political power for power's sake -- and will therefore be able to (relatively) quickly: a.) make their weak and unhealthy democracy strong and healthy, b.) solve their nation's myriad of EFFS problems and fix their broken democratic institutions, c.) build mutual respect between racial, cultural, political/ideological, income, etc. groups, d.) create within all of society a sense of shared purpose -- and on and on. S-G science is the field of study that will develop/explore/expand upon those two models. That's why. |
A layman's case for making Self-Governance The conventional wisdom within much of our political science community is that, like every democracy preceding ours, American democracy's collapse is inevitable. For our political scholars, the only debate-worthy question is when (with the likely odds favoring sooner over later). Why will our democracy end up failing? Political psychologist, Shawn W. Rosenberg (University of California, Irvine), may have provided the explanation that garners the greatest support:
TRANSLATION: American democracy's days are numbered because not enough of our voters are smart enough to engage in the process of self-governance competently or effectively. Expressed graphically: |
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On the surface, the logic behind poli-sci's conventional wisdom seems rock solid: a truly intelligent electorate would never allow their national legislature to be hijacked by what our LOC and ROC voters have allowed their U.S. Congress to be hijacked by. Namely:
What Self-Governance Science offers is an alternative, "21st century" theory, or explanation, for why American democracy is collapsing -- as well as why America's LOC and ROC voters are trapped in a part-Groundhog Day, part-Twilight Zone self-governance nightmare from which there seems no escape. More importantly, this new field of study provides the S-G solutions our voters need to save their democracy and escape their nightmare. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . To begin, S-G Science's takeaway is clear: American democracy isn't collapsing because most voters aren't intelligent enough to practice democracy competently. That's not to say that our political scientists' critique of our voters' shortcomings aren't without merit. For example, it's certainly the case that a substantial majority of our voters aren't capable of higher order cognitive functioning at the level of, say, an Einstein or someone degreed in a STEM field. And an embarrassingly large number (this voter included) are woefully uninformed across a wide range of major domestic and international issues that a truly responsible, fully involved electorate would feel it their duty to have some minimum working knowledge. And since we're on the subject of our electorate's shortcomings, we should add that America has its share of voters who are naive, gullible, apathetic -- but more than anything else, greedy, wanting more "free" stuff from Uncle Sam than they're willing to pay for in the form of taxes. So, without a doubt, taken as a group, our voters leave much to be desired. Here's the problem. First, it is not our voters' myriad of human shortcomings that explain why our democracy is on the ropes. Second, even if, for the sake of argument, we agree with Rosenberg, et al. that "...people lack the requisite cognitive capacities for integration and abstraction..." -- cognitive inadequacy absolutely, positively does not explain why our 21st century voters can't engage in the "process" of self-governance competently or effectively, any more than inadequate IQ levels explain why, for example (as was mentioned at the top of this page):
Cutting to the chase: If what we mean by: American democracy is collapsing, is that:
...then American democracy is collapsing because generations of our low and high cognitive functioning voters have been using the wrong model of S-G -- i.e., the "18th century" Bloodless War model* of S-G (a.k.a. the Beavis and Butt-head model) -- to elect their 535 members of Congress.
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Based on the performance of the last 30+ sessions of Congress, it's clear that PAPs are the last people on the planet our LOC and ROV voters should be handing the reins of power in the U.S. House and Senate. So the obvious question is: why have generations of our voters been doing it? The short answer -- seen through the lens of effective S-G:
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A graphic cause/effect comparison of .
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Two useful S-G takeaways...
Two useful S-G rules-of-thumb...
One useful (democracy saving) S-G insight... IF knowledge is power,
The ultimate S-G question... If the American people were asked the following survey question:
Chances are the vast majority of America's 155 million LOC and ROC voters, along with her ~65-70 million 4th grade -- PhD level students, and most everyone else in society, would wave the wand (in a heartbeat). Who might not wave it? The rabidly doctrinaire and most of those with a vested interest in the status quo, e.g., political cronies.
The implications raised by the survey question...
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In a nutshell, these are some of the reasons you should support Self-Governance Science becoming an accredited academic discipline. For now, that simply involves liking this page, its two Facebook pages and/or Twitter page (as well as sharing it to one or more of your social media platforms).
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In the near future (hopefully mid April), the fundraising effort for a national education campaign will be finalized, at which point you can contribute to the campaign's advertising effort, or help pay for YouTube and powerpoint presentations, or to upgrade this website, etc. What follows are a number of observations, thought experiments, back-of-the-envelope ideas, etc. re this new field of study.
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The most important of S-G Sci's "21st century" thought experiments*
The
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Is the following a valid, or reasonable, prediction?
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