Now that was interesting. I spent six years in party politics in Edmonton (I lived in Ritchie). On 81st Avenue, between 99 St. and 97 St. was where I got my “eureka” for my TDG on a walk from the grocery store. I vowed never to participate in party politics again.
There are some general diagrams in the my book. But each TDG is going to design itself, so there are going to be different structures tried, tested, and modified.
PR is more democratic than our Westminster system, but not overly so. But I still see the Canadian political parties subject to similar constraining forces as parties in PR countries. And even in those PR countries, average citizens are frustrated with their politicians. While political players may change a few deck chairs with PR, PR is not a big fix (in my opinion).
I have encountered quite a few thinkers that believe direct democracy would be better. But do you really want to be continuously voting on all issues — such as changing the light synchronization of the intersection of 99 St. and Whyte Avenue? Just because you feel elected politicians are idiots or the system is totally inept? In my opinion, it is much better to leave most decisions of governance in the hands of the civil service or elected representatives.
As a former political junkie who seems to have relapses, I have to often remind myself that not all citizens take politics as seriously as I used to. For whatever reason, many citizens either do not vote or do not invest the effort that you and I expect they should invest into the civic process. Nonetheless, their voice at the ballot box still has influence, even voting for the losing side in a plurality election. And if citizens choose not to vote, that still counts but in an indirect way. For example, the 50% of non-voters in the USA could easily run Mr. Trump and his Republicans out of office, out of town, and out to the sea to drown — if Mr. Trump is indeed a reprehensible character in their minds (relatively speaking). That is a force the wiser Republican strategists in the back rooms are indeed thinking about in their back rooms, with or without their boss’s knowledge, insight, or approval.
I have been mostly ignored for the past 23 years. Having someone shoot down my ideas may be what I really need.
