This has turned into a very interesting discussion. One of my better--and on my last days on Medium.
Democracy is actually a pretty fascinating concept, with all sorts of features that need to be put together to make it work the way it works. If I were to put one outcome as the sign of democracy, it would be the governing side graciously steps aside from power when the people have elected another group to govern. In this sense, USA lost its democracy in 2020, maybe earlier.
I don't blame the two-party system for this. In my mind, the governing coalitions are formed before the election in FPTP elections and after the election in PR elections. Coalitions are still being formed and particular stances are compromised for various reasons.
However, the author of "Political Order and Political Decay" said that the Republican Party is an anomoly in western democracies. It has somehow managed to get significant political support while really doing nothing for its main supporters.
Maybe it was you that mentioned "socoicracy" to me. I have spent a little time with this concept. From what I have seen, these thinkers aren't seeing much beyond a small group, maybe a few hundred at best. When I am fully free of Medium, I will investigate some more.
And you are fully right in that the TDG sounds like "sociolocracy". If the TDG were implemented tomorrow, it would quickly fail. There are a few things we need to learn--and building the TDG is a good place to learn them.
I haven't read many political science books, but listened to many in the media. If politics was a sporting event, the political scientists would be the announcers. They woud not be the coaches, players, and managers needed to put together a successful sports franchise. To put this more bluntly, the political scientists are bereft of good ideas. They can only comment on what is happening. Yet they come off as being wise.
In 2016, Canada embarked on a commission to reform its electoral system. I submitted a proposal. I wasn't expecting a response, but the government did put up my essay on its website. I was impressed with that:
https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/421/ERRE/Brief/BR8525408/br-external/VolekDave-e.pdf
I did take in a few live online sessions of this lengthy hearing. They discussed all sorts of things, many of which you and I talked about.
But there was something very wrong with this process. I saw a bunch of people being paid $500 a day to listen to other people being paid $500 a day to speak. 'The optics ain't good" I thought. A couple of weeks later, the prime minister cancelled the hearings, breaking a campaign promise to reform Canada's 1867 system.
Trying to make a change by working within the system is futile. But I figured that out years ago.
If the TDG cannot rise above its sociocracy level, it will not go further. The early builders will have to figure this out--and put out a product that a significant majority of citizens will respect and trust.
One of the things that tells me that we really don't need political parties is Canada's municipal elections. There are no parties. Yet great things get done. Toronto has 2.7 million people. It elects a mayor and 25 councillors, each representing a district in a "winner take all" contest. For every issue the councillors line up differently, forming different coalitions with other councilllors. No need for political parties.
Prince Edward Island has 150,00 people. Yet its provincial structure has three political parties involved. So why is it necessary to have parties for 150,000 people but not for 2.7 million?
My hypothesis is that we have learned do things differently at municipal level that at our provincial and federal levels. Humanity can learn new ways.
And as the TDG is being built it will be experimenting with diffferent ways. By the time it is ready for actual governance, it will have created electoral structures that should work quite well.
Right now, there is a scandal in Calgary's municipal government (Calgary is the closest big city to me). It seems one of the councillors submitted an improper expense report. He is supposed to pay $6,000 back. SHEEEEEESH. If this is the worst corruption that can be found in 10 or more years, Calgary is probbaly governed quite well. Maybe the provincial and federal levels should be studying the municipal levels to make provincial and federal governace better.
Another aspect that comforts me is that most citizens are not political junkies. They just want politics go into the background of their lives. If they deem the TDG as trustworthy--because it is not bringing in all the crap that political parties do bring into governance--these citizens will just let the TDG do its thing. Each year, many will vote for the neighbor they think is best to represent in the TDG--and then just let the TDG process work its magic with those people.
Humanity can be trained. Just like it was trained in how to participate in western democracy.
The early TDG builders will be DELIBERATELY learning this new way.
