Renovating Democracy: Governing in the Age of Globalization and Digital Capitalism (Volume 1) (Great Transformations)

The rise of populism in the West and the rise of China in the East have stirred a rethinking of how democratic systems work—and how they fail. The impact of globalism and digital capitalism is forcing worldwide attention to the starker divide between the “haves” and the “have-nots,” challenging how we think about the social contract. With fierce clarity and conviction, __Renovating Democracy__tears down our basic structures and challenges us to conceive of an alternative framework for governance. To truly renovate our global systems, the authors argue for empowering participation without populism by integrating social networks and direct democracy into the system with new mediating institutions that complement representative government. They outline steps to reconfigure the social contract to protect workers instead of jobs, shifting from a “redistribution” after wealth to “pre-distribution” with the aim to enhance the skills and assets of those less well-off. Lastly, they argue for harnessing globalization through “positive nationalism” at home while advocating for global cooperation—specifically with a partnership with China—to create a viable rules-based world order. Thought provoking and persuasive, __Renovating Democracy__serves as a point of departure that deepens and expands the discourse for positive change in governance. "The rise of populism in the West, the rise of China in the East and the spread of peer-driven social media everywhere are prompting a deep rethinking of how democracy works -- or doesn't. The creation of new classes of winners and losers as a result of globalization and digital capitalism are also challenging how we think about global interconnectivity and the social contract. If contemporary democracies are going to take back control and compete with autocratic systems on the world stage while avoiding their own suicide through polarization and paralysis fueled by untrustworthy information, they need a radical renovation that responds to the forces undermining them. Above all, such a renovation must engage the participatory power of social media and the increasing preference of publics for direct democracy by designing new, impartial institutions and practices that interpose a deliberative check against the false claims, misinformation, intolerance and magical thinking that come along with the immediate wash of networked popular sentiment. In short, participation without populism. A new social contract is also necessary that spreads the wealth through an equity share for all through "owning the robots" in a future where intelligent machines are on track to displace labor, depress income and transform the nature of work to an unprecedented degree. Harnessing globalization requires a partnership instead of rivalry with China, the new power of the 21st century"--Provided by publisher Cover Renovating Democracy Title Copyright CONTENTS Preface: There Is Something Wrong with the System Acknowledgments Introduction: Rethinking Democracy, the Social Contract, and Globalization The Paradoxes of Governance in the Digital Age Where China Comes In Taking Back Control The Politics of Renovation 1. Behind the Populist Surge Peril Resides within Promise Disruption, Insecurity, and Identity Luther’s 95 Theses and Twitter’s 280 Characters What about Us? God and Computers 2. Rethinking Democracy Representative Government in Crisis The Participatory Power of Social Media Thinking outside the Ballot Box Back to the Drawing Board of Constitutional Design The American Founders: A Republic, Not a Democracy The Progressives: Direct Democracy and Smart Government The Third Turn: Participation without Populism California as a Laboratory of Democracy Fundamental Redesign of State Government 3. Redrawing the Social Contract Job Loss and Inequality in the Digital Age The Transformation of Capital by Knowledge The Parallel Sharing Economy The Future of Work Flexicurity and Pre-distribution An Equity Share for All Citizens: Universal Basic Capital A Postcapitalist Scenario 4. Harnessing Globalization The China Challenge Positive Nationalism Open Societies Need Defined Borders One World, Many Systems Epilogue: Our Image of the Future Shapes the Present Notes Index The rise of populism in the West and the rise of China in the East have stirred a rethinking of how democratic systems work—and how they fail. The impact of globalism and digital capitalism is forcing worldwide attention to the starker divide between the “haves” and the “have-nots,” challenging how we think about the social contract. With fierce clarity and conviction, Renovating Democracy tears down our basic structures and challenges us to conceive of an alternative framework for governance. To truly renovate our global systems, the authors argue for empowering participation without populism by integrating social networks and direct democracy into the system with new mediating institutions that complement representative government. They outline steps to reconfigure the social contract to protect workers instead of jobs, shifting from a “redistribution” after wealth to “pre-distribution” with the aim to enhance the skills and assets of those less well-off. Lastly, they argue for harnessing globalization through “positive nationalism” at home while advocating for global cooperation—specifically with a partnership with China—to create a viable rules-based world order. Thought provoking and persuasive, Renovating Democracy serves as a point of departure that deepens and expands the discourse for positive change in governance.