OpenGov - Open Government Brainstorm

I've collected and posted many "virtual democracy" websites here http://tr.im/mnfT

Jason Liszkiewicz

Executive Director(NYC)

Earth Intelligence Network(501c3)

Public Intelligence in the Public Interest

www.earth-intelligence.net

http://twitter.com/earthintelnet

http://youtube.com/earthintelnet

Free Resources Updated Monthly:

CyberScout/Mobile Citizen Intel Link-Tables = http://tr.im/irCi

Free Books:

Collective Intelligence Book = http://tr.im/jo9S

Election 2008: Lipstick on the Pig = http://tr.im/jo9Y

Innovative Concepts for Now or Never:

http://re-configure.org

Historically I believe our representative democracy was necessary and will continue to be necessary to funnel ideas from the people through their representatives into the flow of governement decision making.

Increasingly the ability for those ideas to be gathered directly from the people rather than through lobbyists or groups whose voices, while being louder and perhaps more demanding, do not truly represent the majority is becoming more available.

In light of this increasing capacity for the people to be more involved in direct communication with their representatives at a local, state and federal level, I believe it to be our duty as Americans to lead the way in incorporating our democratic values into these new forms of communication by formalizing ways to communicate directly with our representatives, have them communicate directly to us, and provide forums to discuss the ideas and performance of those who purportedly represent our best interests.

This initiative that is being undertaken is a strong first step but will require that the information be organized, mandated, and widely distributed in order for public participation in government to succeed.

Ultimately I believe that each layer of government should provide, aligned with the represented district, a place where communication with their government representative can be publicly posted. Where that representative would also be responsible for journaling actions being taken on behalf of their constituents, reporting voting results and justification for those results, and where questions and comments can be posted concerning those actions.

These public forums would be similar to past forums on which our democracy is based but rather than be in open air they would be in open Internet form. I believe they can be somewhat self governing in the ability for the consituents to sort out the chaff from the wheat and stifle or censor the individuals who would attempt to detract or undermine legitimate participation.

This would be a very bold initiative indeed but would solidify and extend our postion in the world as leaders of democracy, true democracy with representative responsibility.

My version of virtual democracy =

http://opengov.ideascale.com/akira/dtd/3098-4049

Democracy Versus Republic

These succinct definitions of what is Democracy and what is a Republic was produced by the US Army in 1928, These definitions have been quietly withdrawn since, soon after.

Democracy:

A government of the masses.

Authority derived through mass meeting or any other form of "direct" expression.

Results in mobocracy.

Attitude toward property is comunistic-negating property rights.

Attitude toward law is that the will of the majority shall regulate. whether it be based upon deliberation or governed by passion, prejudice, and impulse, without restraint or regard to consequences.

Results in demagogism license, agitation, discontent, anarchy.

Democracy is the "direct" rule of the people and has been repeatedly tried without success.

A certain Professor Alexander Fraser Tytler, nearly two centuries ago, had this to say about Democracy: " A Democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of Government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largess out of public treasury. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that Democracy always collapses over a loose fiscal policy, always to be followed by a Dictatorship."

A democracy is majority rule and is destructive of liberty because there is no law to prevent the majority from trampling on individual rights. Whatever the majority says goes! A lynch mob is an example of pure democracy in action. There is only one dissenting vote, and that is cast by the person at the end of the rope.

Republic:

Authority is derived through the election by the people of public officials best fitted to represent them.

Attitude toward property is respect for laws and individual rights, and a sensible economic procedure.

Attitude toward law is the administration of justice in accord with fixed principles and established evidence, with a strict regard to consequences.

A greater number of citizens and extent of territory may be brought within its compass.

Avoids the dangerous extreme of either tyranny or mobocracy. Results in statesmanship, liberty, reason, justice, contentment, and progress.

Is the "standard form" of government throughout the world.

A republic is a form of government under a constitution which provides for the election of:

an executive and

a legislative body, who working together in a representative capacity, have all the power of appointment, all power of legislation all power to raise revenue and appropriate expenditures, and are required to create

a judiciary to pass upon the justice and legality of their governmental acts and to recognize

certain inherent individual rights.

Take away any one or more of those four elements and you are drifting into autocracy. Add one or more to those four elements and you are drifting into democracy.

Our Constitutional fathers, familiar with the strength and weakness of both autocracy and democracy, with fixed principles definitely in mind, defined a representative republican form of government. They "made a very marked distinction between a republic and a democracy and said repeatedly and emphatically that they had founded a republic."

A republic is a government of law under a Constitution. The Constitution holds the government in check and prevents the majority (acting through their government) from violating the rights of the individual. Under this system of government a lynch mob is illegal. The suspected criminal cannot be denied his right to a fair trial even if a majority of the citizenry demands otherwise.

Difference between Democracy and Republic, in brief:

Democracy:

a: government by the people; especially : rule of the majority.

b: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.

Attitude toward law is that the will of the majority shall regulate, whether it be based upon deliberation or governed by passion, prejudice, and impulse, without restraint or regard to consequences

Republic

a: a government having a chief of state who is not a monarch and who in modern times is usually a president : a political unit (as a nation) having such a form of government.

b: a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law.

Democracy and Republic are often taken as one of the same thing, but there is a fundamental difference. Whilst in both cases the government is elected by the people, in Democracy the majority rules according to their whims, whilst in the Republic the Government rule according to law. This law is framed in the Constitution to limit the power of Government and ensuring some rights and protection to Minorities and individuals.

The difference between Republic and Righteous Republic is that in the Republic the Government rules according to the law set up by men, in the Righteous Republic the law is the Law of God. Only in the Righteous Republic it can truly be said "One nation under God" for it is governed under commandments of the only One True God and there is no pluralism of religions.

Autocracy declares the divine right of kings; its authority can not be questioned; its powers are arbitrarily or unjustly administered.

Mobocracy: 1. Political control by a mob. 2. The mass of common people as the source of political control.