Key takeaways from this chapter

The proposed changes to government decision processes must be put into effect through our current government structure and laws. I am NOT advocating a revolution of any type. I am proposing an evolution of our government's processes through constitutional, legal means.

The best decision makers for the task

Studies in collective intelligence show that a large, diverse group of citizens would be the best decision makers for complex governing decisions that require cooperation and collaboration. Therefore, in our new governing process citizens would develop solutions to issues together through our new democratic solution process incorporated into Citizen Governance Websites.

Collective intelligence also indicates that a small, diverse council of qualified, independent citizens would be the best decision makers for administrative decisions over departments, agencies, and programs. Therefore, these organizations will be managed by small groups that I call "Federal Councils" in our new processes. Some agencies are managed by councils already.

Federal Councils would implement laws, policies, and solutions developed by the citizens and ensure that they were followed. They would safeguard that no corruption or favoritism existed with individual managers or with staff responsible for contracts and expenditures within their organizations.

Each Federal Council would have its own Citizen Governance Website. I call the combination of Federal Councils combined with their Citizen Governance Websites a Collaborative Democracy. A Collaborative Democracy would enable rule by the citizens instead of representatives.

Collective intelligence concludes that individuals would be the best managers over operations and the execution of federal processes as they are now.

WARNING! IMPORTANT NOTICE

The remaining chapters contain considerable detail about how the Federal Councils, Citizen Governance Websites, and our new democratic solution process would be implemented. Some may find the detail boring or tedious. Others will need this level of detail to trust our Collaborative Democracy to be the solution to our root cause of rule by the power elite and the political parties.

I felt I must provide enough of the "how to" detail to answer everyone's questions. "What" we will do and the "why" we will do it have already been answered. However, this book is intended as a blueprint for a Collaborative Democracy. Therefore, "how" it would work is the key to understanding that it is a practical solution.

Likewise, chapters 12 and 13 on Citizen Governance Websites may feel somewhat like an operator's manual for computer software. My intent is to paint a clear picture in your mind of how the Citizen Governance Websites will be used to solve issues. This book is not about ideas like most books. It is a manual for a realistic and beneficial Constitutional update.