New Democracy
Let’s recapture the American Dream. But this time, for all Americans.
Promise of America
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That is the promise of America.
America has lost sight of this promise. For many Americans, it never was true.
We are a diverse nation. There is no universal set of rules that can deliver on the promise of America. The old democracy is tearing us apart.
America is a big place. We can agree to disagree. We can be reasonable. We can cooperate. We can do all these things.
Let’s create a new democracy.
Creating a new democracy
The new democracy lets us make our own decisions, for our own communities.
Every community has an unalienable right to govern themselves. America was founded on this belief. It is written in the Declaration of Independence.
This right belongs to every community, of any size. It doesn’t matter if it is a city of 500,000 people, or a town of 5 people. This is what Thomas Jefferson meant when he wrote it into the Declaration of Independence. His words are clear. Our unalienable right is clear. [Declaration of Independence]
So that’s the plan. Communities can choose to govern themselves. Write a new Constitution, then select it as the new form of government in a local election. [Learn more]
Contest for legitimacy
By choosing to govern ourselves, we revoke the right of others to rule over us.
This sets up a contest for legitimacy. Federal and state governments will assert a constitutional right to rule over us. We will assert our unalienable right to govern ourselves.
We will win this contest. Massachusetts has 351 cities and towns, with a total population of 6.9 million people. Boston has 693,000 people. Cambridge has 119,000 people. Fall River has 89,000 people.
Who’s going to overrule the will of the People? The U.S. President? The 9-person Supreme Court? The 535-person U.S. Congress?
There is no legitimate basis for any government to overrule the will of the People. It would mean we are not free.
Welcome, comfortable, safe
We all want a community to call home. Welcome, comfortable, safe.
In the new democracy, each community makes their own decisions. Immigration. Guns. Abortion. Gay marriage. Police. Government programs. These are all local decisions. No federal or state government gets to rule over us.
This lets us escape the culture wars. It creates a safe space for the people in each community. It protects the way of life in each community. Americans have always sorted themselves into communities with widely shared values. We do not need to keep fighting endless culture wars with people we never meet.
Unhappy with the rules in your community? You are free to leave, or to work to enact change. No community can deliver on every possible aspiration people may place on it. It is up to each person to find a community to call home.
People of color. Immigrants. Dreamers. LGBTQ. Muslims. For many Americans, nowhere in America truly feels welcome, comfortable, safe. The new democracy changes that. Everyone can find a community to call home. People will no longer have to fear what a U.S. President or Supreme Court may decide.
Nation of communities
The new democracy creates a nation of communities.
We are Americans. We can cooperate on our own. We do not need federal and state governments to rule over us.
We do not want to be invaded by a foreign government. So we will cooperate on national defense. We want transportation systems to connect our communities. So we will cooperate to make it happen. We do not want industry to poison our rivers. So we will cooperate to prevent it.
In the new democracy, each community opts into the government services they desire, under their rules. This covers everything from trash removal to foreign relations. Taxes pay for specific services, not vast bureaucracies.
Every community is part of society. As such, we have a responsibility to exercise our freedom in a manner that is reasonable and fair to the rest of society. This responsibility extends to our neighboring cities and towns, our county, our state, our nation, our world. No community gets to decide on its own what is reasonable and fair. It is up to society.
Creating a nation of communities lets us unite as Americans. It makes us strong.
Pursuit of happiness
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The purpose of government is to secure these unalienable rights for every person. This is the only legitimate role of government. It is written in the Declaration of Independence.
Our government has failed to honor this commitment. Politicians have instead dedicated themselves to a brutal and unjust capitalism. Extreme inequality. Vast concentration of wealth and power. Exploitive labor practices. Mass layoffs. Environmental destruction. Prison industrial complex. Tax cuts for the wealthy. Safety net cuts for the poor.
The new democracy lets us escape the abyss. Communities can choose to govern themselves, however they want. Direct democracy. Servant capitalism. Universal healthcare. Free college. Minimal government. Whatever shall seem most likely to effect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Let’s recapture the American Dream. But this time, for all Americans.