Table of Contents

Preface
An Urgent Appeal
We must act now, to save ourselves, our families, and our nation.

Chapter 1
The Emergencies of Our Times
We must find the means to respond

1a Four out of Five American Citizens Agree About the Basic Problem
Our nation is in the clutches of 'special interests'

1b The Best Government that Money Can Buy
In the service of selfish greed

1c Our Sons and Daughters Die in the Service of Outright Lies
Our 'free press', in the service of its own greed, has abdicated its social responsibility

1d Our Nation Has lost Its Moral Compass
Reality constantly recedes in the face of social madness

1e The Brink of Total Collapse
Unimaginable calamity confronts us

1f The Responsibility to Act
No hero can save us. We must save ourselves


Chapter 2
A Proposal for Action

2a What Is To Be Done?
How can we act in the face of cynicism and despair?

2b We Hereby Propose
Building a Truly Democratic Organization


Chapter 3
Basic Foundational Principles

3a Democracy is Rooted in a Moral Agreement
True Democracy Inherently serves the Common Good

3b Our Process Is Our Most Important Policy
Being democratic is our most important task

3c A 'Tyranny of the Majority' is NOT True Democracy
The means determine the ends

3d Democracy Must be What We Practice AND What We Preach
Our method is our message, and vice-versa

3e Power Resides With The People
Authority is responsibility, not power

3f The Means of Communications are the Means of Power
Freedom of Speech; Effective Communications

3g Three Basic Types of Channels of Communications

.....Top-down communications
.....From 'the few' to 'the many'

.....Bottom-up communications
.....From 'the many' to 'the few'

.....General communications
.....From 'the many' to 'the many'


Chapter 4
Basic Agenda

4a A Shared Agenda is Easily Divided

4b The Limited Role of Conveners

4c Our Faith in 'the Process'

4d Building an Awareness of the Social and Cultural Concept of the Common Good
We have 'faith' that no other outcome is possible


Chapter 5
The Basic Principles of Democratic Hierarchy
Organization IS hierarchy

5a The 'Necessary Evil' of Hierarchy
Formal hierarchy facilitates communications, and guards against cults of personality

5b The Inverse Principle of Democratic Hierarchy

5c The Democratic Paradox of Autonomy
Organization IS hierarchy


Chapter 6
Sketching In a Prototype Structure

6a Creating a Constitution

6b Organizational Chart

6c The Limitations of an Organizational Chart

6d Geographical Organization by Congressional District

6e Separation of Powers

6f Organizational Metaphor
The Roots, the Trunk, and the Branches


Chapter 7
The Roots
The Organization's Citizen-Members

7a Rights and Responsibilities of Citizen-Members

7b Types of Membership
Supporting Membership; Governing Membership


Chapter 8
The Critical Importance of Dues
Money buys the power to communicate; the power to communicate produces money

8a Uniting Our Resources Is Our Basic Purpose

8b Politics Is a Numbers Game
And the numbers are VERY large

8c Crunching the Numbers

8d A Vision of Building Effective Communication


Chapter 9
The Trunk
The Basic Unit of Organization

9a Local Citizens Groups

9b Interactive Communications and Function

9c General Discussion Forums

9d Optimum Size of Local Groups and Discussion Forums

9e Managing 'Traffic' on General Discussion Forums

9f Moderation (and Censorship)
A prototype system for moderating discussion forums that protects freedom of speech

9g Formal Business Forums
'In Session' forums that are perpetually 'Called to Order'

9h Quorum Requirements

9i Ancillary Groups
Using social networking technology for outreach


Chapter 10
The Branches

Chapter 10-I
The Legislative Branch

10-I-a Prototype Representational Scheme

10-I-b The 'Nuts and Bolts'
A detailed prototype representational scheme

10-I-c State and National Congresses
With some prototype 'nuts and bolts'

10-I-d 'Sunshine' Access to All Communications, at Every Level

10-I-e Provisions for Recall
A crucial tool for accountability

10-I-f Citizen's Veto

1o-I-g Citizen Approval

10-I-h One Person One Vote

10-I-i Uniting Resources
More on paying dues

10-I-j The Division of Dues

10-I-k The Stabilizing and Moderating Influence of Dues

10-I-L Managing the Treasury

Chapter 10-II
The Executive Branch

Chapter 10-III
The Judicial Branch


Chapter 11
Project Development

11a Moving Forward

11b Step by Step
A journey of a thousand miles.......(and all that)


Chapter 12
Roll Out
Developing and affecting a plan to populate the organization and put it into use

12a The Necessity for a 'Provisional Government'
Learning Democracy takes time

12b Imagining a provisional government
A thousand miles.......step by step

12c Technical Training


Chapter 13
The Technology, the Dream, and the Task at Hand
The power at our fingertips

13a The Technology

13b The Dream

13c The Task at Hand