Maybe I didn’t express myself clearly enough. You and I (and the Greeks) seem to be in complete agreement. I don’t understand why we Americans insist on calling our form of government “democracy”. As you point out, pure democracy has been tried and found to be a poor form of government for a country of any size.

We elect representatives based on their perceived belief systems. Sadly, once they’ve gotten the job, they often behave much differently than we expected. They turn to polling data to tell them how to act today so they can be reelected tomorrow. This is not what the founding fathers had in mind.

What I would suggest is pretty much what the 912 Project suggests. We should demand that our elected employees stick with the principals that got them elected and if they don’t, throw them out of office. If you or I were hired for a normal job based on a false resume, we would soon be fired. Politicians should be held to the same standard.

This is a business blog so I don’t want to go off on too much of a political tangent, but there is a correlation. The same things that make a business successful would go a long way toward returning the United States to its leadership position in the world. Earlier this week I wrote a post on the Baldrige Award. It’s awarded by the Federal Government, so somebody in Washington must have a copy of the criteria.

The seven criteria of:

1. Leadership
2. Strategic Planning
3. Customer Focus
4. Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management
5. Workforce Focus
6. Process Management
7. Results

would certainly be an excellent framework for all governments.

On a more personal level I believe every American should take the time to educate him/herself on how the government’s supposed to work and to get involved in something like the 912 Project to show the politicians that “we”re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore.”

Not trying to split hairs here… but the popularity debacle of which you speak is called “democracy” in lay man’s terms. The Greeks experimented with it a few thousand years ago and discarded it as a valid form of government once they realized that; “Given the opportunity, the empowered people would invariably vote to give themselves the sum of the treasury.”

That being said.. and of course, being evidenced by recent events… What do you suggest as a solution? I am sincerely interested in your answer and am not here facetiously.

I anxiously await your response.