Preservation of the Idea
Please note - the posts are listed with the most recent first. If you want to start at the beginning of a numbered Series scroll down to find it.
The preservation and spread of knowledge about Democracy
Special Note - Introduction and revision
After some reflection, I have revised the approach and content of this new Third Series, mainly by adding history and concepts to outline how knowledge of Athenian Democracy was kept alive even as it’s existence had ended in 231 BC. The new title of this Series is The preservation and spread of knowledge about Democracy, Preservation of the Idea for short.
Previously, I have outlined the initial birth and development of Democracy in the Greek city-state of Athens in two series of posts: The Appearance of Democracy - Birth and Infancy in Greece (5 posts) followed by The Appearance and Construction of Democracy - Childhood to Maturity in Greece (18 posts).
Due to the alteration of the third series above, the former third series, will become the fourth series: The Impact of Athenian Democracy on the re-appearance of Democracy and its further development.
Democracy, Bipartisanship, and Hope
Regardless of who wins the upcoming election, nearly half of the country will be disappointed or upset. Therefore, the work of strengthening our democracy will be waiting for us after the election. Americans on both sides of our partisan divide agree that democracy is under threat and believe it should be strengthened. In this spirit, I have attached 6 hopeful and brief (3-5 minute reads each) articles that make the case for preserving and improving our rare and fragile democracy through a series of bipartisan reforms, changes, and innovations. Here is a quick overview of each:
"Yes, the Parties can work together" - a summary of the affliction of partisanship and its consequences followed by a case (with examples) that the political parties can work together - despite how it can seem, progress can be made and this is not a hopeless objective.
"Educating for Democracy: The case for a new civics" - an outline of the damage to our Democracy from a lack of robust and widely supported focus on teaching and learning about democratic values and processes along with some solutions and examples of bipartisan approaches to this issue.
"How modernizing Congress would heal dysfunction" - an answer to the widely held view that Congress is hopelessly dysfunctional including some concrete bipartisan progress that has been made to improve and update the functioning of Congress.
"Building a better Election infrastructure" - a reminder of the effectiveness of our election system, a discussion of challenges facing it, and some (again) bipartisan activity to more fully support elections and increase public trust in them.
"The Urgent task of Reforming Section 230" - the challenges, prospects, and actions underway regarding the power of Big Tech and the need to much more effectively regulate the internet industry.
"Toward a Social Media that Enhances Democracy" - an overview of the major damage done to Democracy by the way that Social Media functions and operates along with a case that a reformed Social Media can support and improve Democracy.
While much about our country's problems can seem hopeless and intractable, all is not lost and we can turn our country around even if not quickly or easily. This does not mean agreeing on everything - fierce debates have been part of Democracy from the beginning. It does mean reducing partisanship and creating an America that continues to work on its problems as one country even with the reality of substantial contested terrain. When the Greeks were inventing Democracy, there were setbacks and problems so severe that they are hard for us to comprehend in today's world. Yet, perhaps against all odds and with some luck, they stuck with it and managed to create principles that were the foundation of our Democracy after these principles had disappeared for more than two millennia. In the end, Bipartisanship is the strength and hope for our country.
So, with this in mind, I invite you to read one or all of these papers and consider sending them out to others you know both before and after the election no matter the outcome. And, I also challenge all of us to not demonize and vilify the "other".
https://www.nurturedemocracy.com/s/Yes-the-Parties-Can-Work-Together-_-Democracy-Journal.pdf
https://www.nurturedemocracy.com/s/Building-a-Better-Election-Infrastructure-_-Democracy-Journal.pdf
https://www.nurturedemocracy.com/s/The-Urgent-Task-of-Reforming-Section-230-_-Democracy-Journal.pdf
