Introduction —

Recently, (2010), I was contemplating the spectrum of topics for this book when an insight came to me that Americans do not see their democracy as separate from themselves. Americans think of democracy as “here,” immediate, and personally relevant to them. Neither do they see democracy as a type of government, but rather as a social, governmental, and economic process that is an organic extension of their existence. Most Americans think of their freedom and democracy as extensions of their lives..., don’t you?

So, I Googled “organic democracy” and came up with a screen of web sites. The list was not extensive but did include Robert Westbrook’s book John Dewey and American Democracy. A brief article by Scott London, entitled, Organic Democracy, The Political Philosophy of John Dewey, described the philosophic pragmatism of Dewey. Of the various websites examining Dewey’s work, only American and UK sites seem to have shown an interest in his thoughts about democracy as being organic to the public.

The manuscript I was working on at the time, and from which this text borrows heavily, takes a similar view of Dewey’s philosophic pragmatism. It espouses a pragmatism that would be familiar to the frontiersman, farmer, and early manufacturers of America. It is that kind of pragmatism needed to create solutions for contemporary democracies. The Progressive’s HANDBOOK, (unpublished), was meant for citizens and citizen groups who need and want a general, pragmatic set of instructions to begin molding their local democratic institutions to suit their estimate of how their democracy should operate, one that is capable of creating solutions by local citizens.

John Dewey and Organic Democracy —

If I could have an imaginative dialogue with John Dewey about our evolving American democracy, perhaps our combined notes may include the following thoughts.

John Dewey: “As introduction, the first strategic mission of the United States was to grant citizens political rights from the autocratic authority of the English crown by expanding the right to vote to eventually include everyone over the age of 18. The new democracy that was founded by the Constitution of 1789-91 granted citizens the opportunities and means to develop our nation’s natural resources. As the first strategic mission of the United States’ form of democracy began to approach its completion in the late 1900s, the need for a second strategic mission became apparent to only to a few citizens in the United States and also in other mature democracies.

“The first strategic mission of the nation developed the natural material assets to grow into its potential. That now being accomplished, the second strategic mission must develop the natural resources of its citizens. Empathically, our government must provide the opportunities to unlock the infinite potential that exists in each individual, just as it granted mineral rights to miners, and sections of land to railroads. Empowering citizens to develop their innate individual potential will empower the sustainable potential of democratic nations. When that occurs, democratic governments, societies, and economies will have deepened the organic connection between every citizen, and their evolving interpretations of our species’ sustaining values.”

John Dewey continues: “An organic democracy will become lasting and adaptable because it will have become an organic, integral system within the social systems that support socially sustainable democracies. A democracy that has become intrinsic and organic to the social existence of citizens has the capacity to move its societies into a shared future. Then, it has become a way of life to Americans — more than just a system of government. Doing so, the public becomes co-responsible with their public executives for the survival, existence, and sustainability of their communities and nation. There is a “but” to all of this. Do not make the mistake of thinking that this is a means of public decision-making! The responsibility for active decision-making will remain with elected and appointed public executives.

“A nation with an evolved, organic democracy becomes sustainable as a political process because the responsibility for its survival, existence, and sustainability is shared with the very people who are the ultimate organic authority of that nation. That public is not self-governing, but rather self-directive, where individual citizens become conscious of their public responsibilities. They are no longer able to guilt their public executives for wrong directions. The responsibilities of citizenship are no longer escapable.

“Family and community become the living environment that nurture the individual in opportunity, who then supports the family and community. The family and community act as socializing and enculturating agents of the individual as a social being, learning social responsibilities, rather than becoming an atomistic individual among others. The socialized individual is the glue of society; and, within the encultured individual lays the potential for social sustainability, while atomistic individualism leads to isolation and/or social predation, making little or no contribution to communities.

“The advancing educational maturity of our nation anticipated an evolving process of democracy, and an evolving social consciousness. Individual citizens have become conscious social contributors to their society. They know their contributions make a difference not only to themselves, and their communities, but also to the global community of humankind. Their whole public life has become a social extension of themselves making it possible for them to accept their share of responsibility to participate in their own governance. By contributing their opinions and preferences concerning public issues, they will consciously contribute to the direction of their communities, and in return, to the sustainability of their own lives. The necessary rugged individualism of the first strategic national mission resolves to the socially integrated and responsible individual who sees him or herself as actively participating in the daily networking of democratic governance of the second strategic national mission.

“The most obvious evidence of that budding public consciousness is the capacity to ask relevant questions about their shared public responsibilities. This is occurring today! Only a public with the capacity to ask questions and develop a consciousness of “self as public” has the potential to move beyond the limitations of an atomistic society, and its inevitable demise. Asking questions ²⁸ and generating answers, particularly options, empowers the public to transcend the “mortality” of a nation of individuals!”

Public Education. John and I couldn’t agree more about public education. The purposes of education are to

1. assist the student to develop his or her potential;
2. enculturate the student in the values, beliefs, and expectations of the culture;
3. prepare the student to accept responsibility for membership as a citizen;
4. to contribute to society and its sustainability; and
5. contribute to the function and sustainability of democracy by preparing students to participate effectively and responsibly. The best democracy is achieved through the best prepared citizens.

It is not so much that education is important for education’s sake as for the endurance of our democracy, and as a unified people with common morés, values, and beliefs. It is important for the development and maturity of a citizenry that is capable of wise participation in an evolving representative form of democracy and government. Only from an educated citizenry will our nation survive an otherwise inevitable future preceded by mediocre or worse results of state craftsmanship. Education is further necessary to prepare a pool of the best minds of moral character who will become our statesmen — capable leaders who will bring our nation successfully into the future as a sustainable nation and society.

Teaching history, then, becomes far more than the rote learning of historic dates. History becomes the ground for reflective, thoughtful thinking, and appreciation for the centuries and millennia of experience from which we gain the wisdom of all our ancestors, whether in our culture or other cultures. Each generation must learn why those civilizations thrived, and why they died. We, each one of us, must learn the lessons of history at an early age to prepare us to partner well with the survival, maintenance, and sustainability of our democracy, other nations, and civilization. From this foundation will grow the leaders of nations, supported by educated and capable citizens who are more capable to avoid repeating the lessons of failed nations and civilizations.

Risk. Is change a risk to you? Change is inevitable. But change that is initiated proactively, change that is progressive, constructive, and has the potential to yield historic returns into the centuries ahead, now that is reasonable change to engage.

Yes, there is risk for adopting this evolved, conscious process of democracy. Considering the risks of continuing with our current ineffectual debates of partisan positions and intractable processes of governance invested in 50 state legislatures and Congress, the risk is surely acceptable. Would you be willing to invest in the wisdom of 330 million citizens or the obvious foibles of an oligarchy of 535 Congressmen/women? Just as in business, it is time to invest in the growth of our democratic processes. Without risk, there will be no opportunity for progress. An evolved democracy provides all citizens with the capacity to participate equally and responsibly.

John Dewey: “Our time in history is as unique as it is critical. We have come to this existential place as a society, nation, and global community of nations where the problems we face exceed our individual and collective capacity to solve. No form of debate whether in legislatures or Congress for any amount of time will resolve the problems that our democracies face today. It is not that we don’t have the intelligence or time but that our very human nature and the brevity of our lives, even when lived with unselfish and wise expression, prevent us from rising above our selfish predilections and contrarian natures to do so.

“For democracy to survive, it must effectively contribute not only to the survival of individual citizens, but contribute meaningfully to the sustainability of future generations and their communities. To do that over the course of centuries, democracy must become organic to their lives, and in so doing becomes adaptable to their growth, development, and evolution. Democracy then becomes a partner in symbiosis with the citizenry from whose authority it originates.“

The Survival of Democracy —

I closed my notes from my conversation with John, and began to reflect on his answers to anticipate what a functional democratic society, government, and economy would look like. Certainly there are requirements that must be satisfied for democracy to survive and to sustain its existence, and offer the potential of growth and development for itself and its citizens.

If those become known, then it is time to establish them in our own existing communities, societies, and civilization Or, are we so smug in our self-assuredness in the continued existence of the United States democracy that we don’t really need to concern ourselves with those minor details? Or, perhaps we know the shortcuts of history so that we are immune from the decline of civilizations? From the destructive history of all societies and civilizations, there must surely be immutable requirements necessary to support and enable socially sustainable societies. For a civilization to survive, grow, and become sustainable into the centuries ahead, several conditions support the opportunity for democratic societies to become stable and sustainable:

A common and uniform language has a unifying effect upon the populace. It is a prime requirement for quick and comprehensible communication. Use of second languages is encouraged to help the populace understand other language cultures at home and abroad.

A well-educated citizenry is able to provide more options to every facet of a nation. It is an educated populace that is able to understand those who are different from themselves, to understand different points of view, and to come to rational decisions about issues, and to develop rational options of action.

An informed public with a free and vital press is capable of making prompt and tough decisions, and has the knowledge to make those decisions confidently and competently. A free and vital press is fundamental to this process and must never be hindered or infringed upon. A free and vital press is the mouthpiece and the ear of the public and is fundamental to a democracy in any stage of development.

Mature citizens have the perspective of experience and history — the sources of wisdom. Combined with the enthusiasm and courage of youth, mature citizens can move forward to make rational decisions to achieve rational and reasonable results.

Model citizen recognition provides the role models our children should look to and emulate. Model citizens are the courageous leaders and patterns in our communities, which are valuable to all citizens. For too long, we have given too much recognition to those who violate our citizens, our moral codes, and our legal codes. Model citizens are the living tissue of a society capable of guiding citizens along life's path of progress and improvement.

A strong private economy: History reveals that strong nations and cultures have strong private economies. A strong private economy is the lifeblood of moving resources within a nation and of getting commerce done among people. It can enable millions of people to have a meaningful and prosperous existence, whereby wealth is shared with those who have little, by the sweat of their brow and the capacity of their intellect and creativity.

Government which does not intrude extensively into the lives of its citizens: Citizens become restless and chafe under the harness of regulations and bureaucracies, which hold them back from their progress and development. Government must handle its own business of governance rather than intrude into the lives of citizens, and it must allow the widest latitudes for citizen's behavior wherever possible.

A peaceful nation in a peaceful world: Peace is a fundamental and a moral imperative for progress and development of any nation, culture, and of civilization. The diversion of energies and resources into warfare and military activities diverts creativity and energies from progress and development. Negotiations for peace must be ongoing, and when peace is achieved, there must be ongoing efforts to improve relations with national neighbors. War and aggression are remnants of history, and though the need for vigilance and strength must always be present, they should only be used where it is required to maintain overall peace.

An attitude of sacrifice of political selfishness to uplift national and civilizational goals: When the personal goals and egos of public executives are foremost to the goals of their nation and civilization, then the progress of the public will suffer and not achieve the progress and development they deserve. Being an office holder or public executive are positions of service to the public and to citizens. These functions can only be achieved when public executives hold their service to the public first.

Responsible, capable, competent political and governmental leaders: Those who are in office, elected and appointed, must be responsible, capable, and competent to achieve results for their nation and public. It is not enough that leaders sacrifice their egos and selfishness. They also must be capable and competent of leadership and executive capabilities. Just as there are military universities today for training military leaders, we will soon see university level public executive training programs based on the universal values of social sustainability.

Latitude of action: The latitude of political and governmental leaders to act quickly and decisively in times of emergencies, independent of public sentiment, allows for the greatest flexibility of execution of action. There are times when consultation with the public is not possible on short notice. Leaders must have the latitude and the authority to act quickly and independently, though they must later be held accountable for their actions to the public.

Moral values: High moral values must continue to be placed in our highest national standards and laws. These are the guidelines by which our government, public, and our citizens operate. Moral values protect the helpless and the weak, and guide the strong and powerful in their actions. ²⁹

We, as a nation of individuals, must make wise and considered decisions for the generations that follow. We are their representatives, and it is by our capability or incapability that our generation, now, will be judged. Our decisions and actions must aid all people, even those people, cultures, and societies we have not even met, in addition to our own. And, we must encourage Providence to come to our aid. Without a generous spirit within ourselves we cannot anticipate that others will either. In the end, no less than the beneficent generosity of our Source will be necessary to save us from ourselves.

Now, let us begin the Second American Revolution, one that is against no one, one that is without cannons and grenades, and one that is without social chaos and anarchy — one that creates a sustainable future, an exemplar for other evolving democracies of the world.

²⁸ Sesno, Frank 2017 Ask More : The Power of Questions to Open Doors, Uncover Solutions, and Spark Change.
²⁹  Lost Source.