Democracy is Easy; Being Governed is Not

I wrestled with writing this piece. After all, I am not the only person who is beyond frustrated with the current political climate, the preponderance of pundits, and the lack of attention to what actually matters.

“What might that be,” you ask?  What actually matters is people. The daily grind of getting out of bed, feeding the cats and the kids, putting food on the table, going off to work or whatever fills your day, then returning to your abode, tying up loose ends and bringing the day to a close. These are the things people do. These are the relationships people need to survive. These are the foundations of a society.

We All Have Needs

While we may share general categories of needs, each of us has different levels of those needs, different strategies for getting those needs met, and different resources to draw from. Over the lifespan, these levels, strategies, and resources expand and contract.

Unfortunately, each of these is plagued by the capacity of the society we belong to adequately provide, the skill and knowledge of those who are at any given moment in charge of operations, and the collective understanding that without each other we will all wither and die.

Competing for Needs

There are some societies in the world that operate from a belief system that there is enough to go around and intentionally pool resources, wisdom, and skills to see that all members are provided for. You may know this as “living in balance”. And, there are others that believe that whatever is available is theirs for the taking. And those who aren’t capable of taking don’t deserve to have their needs met anyway. You may know this as “survival of the fittest”.

The Need for Governing

These two extremes have given rise to multiple forms of governing. The key understanding here is the need to resolve problems in a systematic way. In the world of survival of the fittest, the governance pretty much has been “I take what I want and if you don’t like it, you can leave!”. In the world of living in balance, governance has pretty much been making decisions by consensus.

Democracy

This collective decision-making process has evolved over the centuries, but the core principles remain the same: how people can pool resources to resolve problems. When this extends beyond the family to larger systems, i.e., governments, we come up with the framework of democracy.

Democracy requires representation and leadership. How representatives are identified and who is given the responsibility of focusing the problem-solving is the work of politics.

When Democracy Works

If you were hosting aliens and explaining how our society and democracy work, you might find yourself with twisted knickers pretty quickly. Our current political process is dominated by buying seats at the table. If you are able to raise enough money, you can make 30-second ads highlighting your record of service and experience, while your opponents run ads about your incompetence and corruption.

Once you get into office, you are expected to pay back the folks who bought your seat by doing favors for them using a highly ritualistic process of writing laws, voting or avoiding having to vote on these and then having the courts pull the rug out from under the whole process.

And this is when democracy works!

When Democracy Doesn’t Work

Your alien guests might point out to you that this process doesn’t seem to be accomplishing what you so fervently shared as being the goal of democracy – a better life for all, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

While they have a point, I believe that the process itself, while sullied and corrupted in its current state, still works. What isn’t working is governing.

Governing is the application of the theory. And, just like watching a YouTube video showing you how to build a house, without the actual experience, tools, and resources, you probably aren’t going to create that masterpiece on the first try.

Governing Requires People Skills

At its core, representative democracy requires trust between the electorate and those they send off to collectively bargain for their needs. By definition, those needs are going to be different. Some very different, others more alike than different, but still needing some compromise. There is low probability that everybody will get everything they need. There is a much greater chance that most people will get most of what they need, and at least a running start to find alternatives to make up the difference.

This Shouldn’t Be a Shock

This model should be familiar to each of us. We are born into a family. There is an implicit hierarchy within that family, along with an implicit contract. The adults are in charge and will take care of the kids. As the kids grow up, they will take on more responsibility. As the kids become adults, the process will be repeated. As the adults grow older, they will step aside and be provided for by their kids.

This template is reflected in governance. There is a more explicit contract of hierarchy, with roles clearly defined along with terms of office, but the expectation is that those who have been around longer will be “leaders” and by applying their knowledge and experience, will be there to guide the decision-making process to benefit the whole. And, when their time is up, they will move on, leaving behind a legacy of legislation that can and will be improved upon by succeeding generations.

Except That’s Not Happening

Somebody threw a spanner in the works. It’s not working that way anymore. The implicit and explicit contracts still exist, but the deliverables are missing. And here’s where the beauty of democracy reveals its glorious self.

When the governing no longer functions for the better of the whole, when needs of the many are no longer being met by the few, people will seek other ways to get those needs met.

Grassroots Change

Please take a look at your local community. Really look and see what is going on. It is a beehive of activity. There are moms’ groups out there seeing that kids have food and clothes so they can get to school. There are support groups out there for people who are dealing with health issues like cancer or Alzheimer’s or grief. There are activist groups out there taking a stand for folks who haven’t the energy or capacity to advocate for themselves any longer.

People, my neighbors, my family, — people everywhere — are all involved, one way or another in reclaiming this incredibly wonderful thing we have benefited from that is now needing an over-haul.

Back in My Day

The advantage of being in my 70’s is that I still have the energy to protest, I have the platform to speak from and I have the chutzpah to say what needs saying. And the joy of this is that so many others — of all ages — are finding their voice, finding their venues, and showing up for each other.

These are lessons that I was taught in my family. I lived through the dark days of the Civil Rights movement and came to understand why sustained change only happens through non-violent persistence. I lived through the War in Viet Nam and came to understand the power of the media when it is used for good. I lived through the shame and horror of the Nixon years, and came to understand just how fragile our democracy is when it succumbs to corruption and greed.

I am sharing this with you now because I have reached that transitional stage of life. My role as provider and leader is giving way to something new: making room for the next generation and passing on what I have learned. What I leave behind is not a finished product, but a reminder — of the lessons learned, of the times when things actually worked for the benefit of all, and of the stubborn, irrepressible hope that they can again.

Please share your stories. Please share your experience. It is our legacy to give away.