Is Democracy a Design Problem?

Is Democracy a Design Problem?
Yes. But it’s a little complicated.

Cusp Conference 2009, Chicago - 09/16/09
Gong Szeto
@atomiota: twitter

Friday, September 18, 2009

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“Redesigning Democracy” Cusp Conference 2009 Gong Szeto @atomiota

Environmental
Global
National
Civic
Community
Professional
Domestic
Me


Almost true


Want Democracy, Kill Democracy

“Uniting and Strengthening America by
Providing Appropriate Tools Required to
Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism”


Which is it?


Political Science = Boring


Economics = Boring


Geopolitics = Ideology + Trade + Resources


Democracy > Government


Democracy > Voting


Democracy = Capitalism


Capitalism = Freedom


Capitalism =
Maximization of Production and Consumption


Liberty > Making serious coin


Liberty > Having the most toys


Democracy = Perfect


Democracy = Sure Thing


First, some people decide to have a democracy


They decide to create a system to govern themselves.
the many decide who those few are


Or, a few people decide that they can govern a people


And create a regime of the few to rule the many


Throughout history, we’ve seen many variations,
each with different emphases of state and economy

Gray = Predominance of The State over individual liberties both personal and economic
Blue = Predominance of an unencumbered “free marketplace” relative to role of The State


Throughout history, we’ve seen many variations,
each with different emphases of state and economy

Gray = Predominance of The State over individual liberties both personal and economic
Blue = Predominance of an unencumbered “free marketplace” relative to role of The State

State
State State
State
State
Economy
Economy
Economy
Economy Economy Economy

*: All these systems are all formal systemic responses to Capitalism, either PRO- or ANTI-
eg: deﬁnition of private property ownership and means of production ownership


There are formal names to these different systems

Fascist Authoritarian Socialist Democratic Libertarian Anarchism

State
State State
State
State
Economy
Economy
Economy


There are formal names to these different systems


State
State State
State
State
Economy
Economy
Economy

Corporatist Planned-Mixed Mixed Regulated Unregulated Agorist
Capitalist Capitalist


Comparison of Political-Economic Systems

MORE STATE REPRESENTATIVE MORE INDIVIDUAL


State

Economy
Theoretical




ORDER EQUALITY LIBERTY
MORE STATE REPRESENTATIVE MORE INDIVIDUAL


State

Economy
Theoretical



Extreme Economic Extreme Personal
Liberty Liberty

Fascist Autocratic Socialist Democratic Libertarian Anarchic

Free Speech NO NO YES YES YES YES

Assembly NO NO YES YES YES YES

Religious Freedom NO NO YES YES YES YES

Free Press NO NO YES YES YES YES

Free Elections NO NO YES YES YES YES

Private Property NO YES YES YES YES YES

Production STATE MIXED MIXED FREE FREE FREE

Health Care STATE STATE MIXED FREE MARKET FREE MARKET FREE MARKET

Economy PLANNED PLANNED MIXED MIXED-FREE FREE FREE

# Political Parties 1 1 2++ 2 PRIMARY “1” 0

Raison d’etre? Nationalism Anti-class conﬂict Egalitarianism Liberty Gov’t Dangerous Gov’t Illegitimate



Communist Autocracy Representative Democracy Socialist Democracy
“Planned-Market” Economy “Free Market” Economy “Mixed” Economy

State State
State

Economy
Economy Economy




State State
State
Non-Profits
Non-Profits

Non-Profits
Economy
Economy Economy




State State
State
Non-Profits
Non-Profits

Non-Profits
Economy
Economy Economy

NO Civil Rights/Assembly YES Civil Rights/Assembly YES Civil Rights/Assembly
NO Freedom of Speech YES Freedom of Speech YES Freedom of Speech
NO Free Elections YES Free Elections YES Free Elections
NO Freedom of Religion YES Freedom of Religion YES Freedom of Religion
NO Free Press YES Free Press YES Free Press
YES Universal Health Care NO Universal Health Care YES Universal Health Care
SOME Private Property Rights YES Private Property Rights MOST Private Property Rights
YES Pursue Personal Profit YES Pursue Personal Profit YES Pursue Personal Profit




State

$6K $47K $39K
State
State
Non-Profits

per capita per capita per capita
Non-Profits

Non-Profits

income Economy
income
Economy income
Economy





State State

$4.4T Non-Profits
$13.8T State
$338BNon-Profits

GDP GDP GDP
Non-Profits
Economy
Economy Economy





$16B $27.4B $1.7B
State State
State
Non-Profits

Trade Trade Trade
Non-Profits

Non-Profits
Economy
Surplus Deficit
Economy Surplus
Economy





State

#57 #17 #4
State
State
Non-Profits

Least Least Least
Non-Profits

Non-Profits

Corrupt Economy
Corrupt
Economy Corrupt
Economy





State

#136 #18 #1
State
State
Non-Profits

Democracy Democracy Democracy
Non-Profits

Non-Profits

IndexEconomy
Index
Economy Index
Economy





State

8% 12% 0%
State
State
Non-Profits

below nat’l below nat’l below nat’l
Non-Profits

Non-Profits

poverty line poverty line poverty line
Economy
Economy Economy





12 State
0
State 3
State

# times # times # times
Non-Profits Non-Profits

“democracy”
Economy “democracy”
Non-Profits
“democracy”
mentioned in mentioned in
Economy mentioned in
Economy
constitution constitution constitution




State State

Guns? Non-Profits Guns? State
Guns?Non-Profits

ILLEGAL Economy HELL YES Non-Profits

Economy
DEPENDS
Economy





Capital
State Capital Capital
State
Punishment? Punishment?
State Punishment?
VARIES BY FORBIDDEN
Non-Profits Non-Profits

Non-Profits
Economy
STATE
Economy Economy

MOBILE


Democracy and Capitalism
Double Helix?

Democracy

Capitalism


Voting and Swiping?

Democracy Capitalism


“Buying In” and “Buying & Selling”?



Mindshare and Marketshare?



Moral Sentiment and Price Sentiment?



Operating Principles and Operating Systems?



Two rulebooks

Wealth, Power, Status
Equality

Order Basic Needs, Survival

“Homo-Democraticus” “Homo-Economicus”
(~cooperation) (~competition)


Democracy’s Two Main Concerns

Equality Order


Applying Set Theory

Due Process Nat’l Defense

Civil Rights Justice

Equality Order
Gender Rights Police

Race Rights Rule of Law


Applying Set Theory

Anti-Trust
Due Process Nat’l Defense
Finance Regulation
Civil Rights Justice
Contract Enforcement

Equality Economic Order
Equality + Order
Gender Rights Wealth Redistribution Police
Externalities
Race Rights Rule of Law
Social Nets


LIBERTARIAN Democratic Capitalism LIBERAL Democratic Capitalism
(“Freedom to...”) (“Freedom from...”)

Economic Economic
Equality Order Equality Order
Equality + Order Equality + Order

Capitalism

Stronger
Minimum Regulations
Interference (Prevent Excesses)
(De-regulation)
Trade-off
Capitalism Maximum Economic Freedom
Liberty for Security
Market takes Emphasis on
care of most Social Safety Nets
things
Social Contract!
Social Contract...What’s That?


Ideological matrix that emerges from these
two rulebooks
State is Good

Left Right

State is Dangerous


Ideological matrix that emerges from these
two rulebooks
State is Good
Social Order: Nation Social Order: Community

Liberal Communitarian

Left Right
Personal Freedom Economic Freedom
Equality Order
Federal Government States Rights
Libertarian Conservative

Social Order: Individual Social Order: Tribe
State is Dangerous


Everyday Paradoxes

“I am against outsourcing American jobs” “I shop at Walmart”



Everyday Paradoxes

“I believe in strong anti-trust laws” “I own 1000 shares of Microsoft”



Everyday Paradoxes

“The Corporatization of America is bad” “My clients are all Fortune 500”



Hmm...


transcendance
helping others
to self-actualize

self-
actualization
personal growth, self-fulfillment

aesthetic
beauty, balance, form

cognitive
knowledge, meaning, self-awareness

esteem
achievement, status, reputation, respect of/by others

belongingness and love
family, affection, relationships, work group

safety
protection, safety, order, law, limits, stability

physiological
air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, exercise, freedom from disease

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Updated (1990’s)


transcendance
helping others
to self-actualize

self-
actualization

aesthetic
Where Design Lives
cognitive

esteem


safety

physiological
air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, exercise, freedom from disease

Updated (1990’s)


transcendance
helping others
to self-actualize

self-
actualization

aesthetic
Where Design Lives
cognitive

esteem


safety

Capitalism physiological
(freedom to consume, air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, exercise, freedom from disease
allocation of capital)
Updated (1990’s)


transcendance
helping others
to self-actualize

self-
actualization

aesthetic
Where Design Lives
cognitive

Democracy esteem
(tribe politics,
how to live together)

safety

Updated (1990’s)


transcendance
helping others
to self-actualize

self-
actualization

aesthetic
Where Design Lives
cognitive

Democracy esteem
(tribe politics,
how to live together)
Robust, Resilient Systems

and Experiences

safety

Updated (1990’s)


Context


Democracy - Capitalism = 0


Capitalism - Democracy = Capitalism


Democracy + Capitalism = America
Autocracy + Capitalism = China


Democracy + Apathy = Abuse of Power


Government + Corporatism = Fascism


Democracy + Participation = Accountability


Interests + Politics = Culture of Competition


Democracy + Civility = Culture of Cooperation


If Government = Public Goods
and the Free Market = Private Goods

then it is Democracy that decides the ratio


Design + Capitalism = Stylish Prosperity


Design + Democracy = ?
(ballot redesign, election websites, presidential logos, and....what else??)


Thank You
Gong Szeto
@atomiota (twitter)


Is Democracy a Design Problem?

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