Localizing government
About
Localizing government is one possible thing type::solution to the problem of the corporatocracy in the United States (and possibly elsewhere). The idea is that decision-making processes would be initiated at a level no larger than that of a city or county, and possibly as small as a neighborhood or community, with larger decisions being negotiated between local governments (presumably by representatives appointed by their members).
Advantages
Government that is more local rather than being larger in geographic scope:
- is generally more accountable and responsive to its constituents
- does not pose as much danger from concentration of power
- is much more free to adopt quality standards at a level suitable to members of the community, since standards cannot be imposed from outside (this has both good and bad aspects)
Disadvantages
However, government that is smaller in geographic scope also:
- lacks the ability to act as quickly in dealing with problems of a scale larger than the individual governments
- faces additional obstacles in working together to achieve goals that are too large or expensive for any individual government
- lacks the ability to directly impose uniform quality standards (e.g. food safety, human rights, access to medical services)
Methods
The transition from the current governmental structure to a more localized one can be via either (or both) of two main paths: top-down (government reform) or bottom-up (grassroots reform).
top-down
The existing government in the US -- including many states and certainly at the national level -- has largely been captured by corporate/big-money interests (exacerbated by the 2010 Citizens United decision which granted political money the status of free speech), so it is unlikely that reform can come from within the system by:
- mass appeal to current legislators (they are too conscious of the need to please the Big Money spenders)
- election of populist candidates (some may win, but most will lose due to outspending by pro-BM candidates)
The only top-down reform venue which has not been eliminated as an option would seem to be that of a Constitutional convention in which many specific changes would be written into the US Constitution, starting with a reversal of the Citizens United decision.
See discussion at LessigWiki: