Is it possible to choose a President without an election? Sortition can transform the Electoral College into the deliberative body the Founders had in mind for choosing a president.
There’s No Better Future in Space, Because We’ll Take Ourselves With Us.
Those who see technology as the solution to humanity’s problems simply don’t get it. They talk about building colonies on Mars and beyond as the way to a better future. The problem with that plan is that we will have to take ourselves with us.
Fixing Democracy with More Democracy
by Ted Wachtel Many people believe the current system of government and elections is broken. Perhaps we can fix democracy with more democracy. To learn how, please watch the video or read the text below the video. VIDEO TEXT: In the original democracy in ancient Athens, Greece, most public officials were not elected. Instead, they were selected […]
What Doctors Can Learn from Patients: The Wisdom of Crowds
by Ted Wachtel Giving people more voice is not just a matter of social justice or political correctness. It’s a good practice because everything works better when you do it. The fundamental premise of the Building A New Reality Foundation (BANR) is that people are happier, more productive and cooperative, and more likely to make positive […]
The Wisdom of Crowds and Why Legislatures Suck
by Ted Wachtel James Surowiecki wrote the book on large group decision-making. In The Wisdom of Crowds, named “Best Business Book of 2004” by both Forbes and BusinessWeek, he argues that large groups of ordinary people—given the right conditions—make better decisions than experts. He describes the surprising wisdom of large groups, starting with the famous […]
Revolution by Conversation
There is a plethora of ideas among those of us who are interested in building a new reality, using strategies with different names and in different settings, but all with a common thread—an emphasis on opportunities for people to talk to each other.
America’s Addiction to Voting
By Kerra L. Bolton Americans are addicted to the idea of voting. Voting represents ownership of the public policy and lawmaking processes. It denotes exclusive (citizen) membership in the American experiment of democracy. African Americans and women have died for the right to vote. Recently, however, voting has become performative. We like to be seen […]
What Happens When You Take Politics Out of Policy?
Deliberative polling is an essential ingredient of building a new reality. It has the potential to revitalize culture, improve public discourse, and generate better solutions to our most urgent problems, because it relies on the collective wisdom of an informed crowd.
