As we move forward to design a more evolved and effective form of democracy, we will build on the foundations of democracy that were laid down by the founders of the American form of democracy, circa 1776 – 1791, in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.  Although 238 years have passed since then, there have not been substantive evolutionary developments in that original process of three branches of government, popular elections and representation.  Political, civil and social rights have expanded, but the basic organizational structures and processes have remained relatively the same.  Let us call this The First Paradigm of Democracy.  

To build the Second Paradigm of Democracy, as Kurt Wright suggested, we will keep what works and create new, evolved democratic processes for the Second Paradigm.  Democracies begin with the People.  Let’s keep this; and, let’s keep the election of public executives who represent the People.  What was not designed well in the First Paradigm of Democracy is how public issues become topics of legislation.  That is the source of most problems in the American democratic process and needs improvement.  

Keep in mind that we are striving to create a sustainable form of democracy.  Also keep in mind that the word “sustainable” is used as a verb, as in “sustaining.”  That is, the democratic process of the Second Paradigm operates in a way that assures that the democratic process will be viable, adaptable and existent for the next 500-1,000 years and more.  To do that, the democratic process of the Second Paradigm must become qualified as being a “learning process,” which the First Paradigm is not.  Adapting the existent democratic process to also become a learning process is the essence of the Second Paradigm of Democracy — learning and recording what works and does not.  

DO NOT FORGET THESE CONNECTIONS:  Social sustainability is dependent upon learning from mistakes and learning from successes.  It is dependent upon examining experience to discover the lessons of history and the wisdom of living sustainably.  It is dependent upon the retention and easy access for the use/application of those learning lessons and wisdom.  It is dependent upon a timeless and universal system of decision-making that produces consistent option-development, option-choice-making, decision-making and action-implementation consistent with the three values social sustainability.  All other options eventually lead to social dysfunction, social decline and social collapse.