Future of Democracy

These messages discuss forces that are likely to impact democracy as we know it.

    • Single Use Politics

      Wayne Wheeler was born in Ohio. While working on the family farm, one of the farm workers stabbed him with a hayfork. The worker was drunk. This incident led to a lifetime crusade against the consumption of alcohol. When studying at Oberlin College, he was offered a...

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    • An American Emperor

      Joshua Norton was born in England in 1818. He was raised in South Africa. When he was 28, he emigrated to the U.S. eventually ending up in San Francisco. He was an entrepreneur who was engaged in commodities trading and real estate speculating. He lost his fortune in...

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    • Propaganda: The Future of Propaganda

      The work of neuroscientists has given us insight into how propaganda alters our brains. (See Propaganda: What We Know from Neuroscience for a description of this). We now know that propaganda can rewire brains under certain conditions. We also have discovered that...

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    • Propaganda: A Look Back

      As world society advanced, so too did the use of propaganda. Much of what we associate with the first examples of artistic expression was essentially propaganda. The leaders of early civilizations used art to portray themselves as godlike. When the Protestant...

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    • Too Big to Fail

      Football developed rapidly in the early 20th century. Rules were changed as coaches devised new ways to win. The flying wedge was one of those strategies. In effect, players on kickoff plays would form a wedge. Heavier players would link arms and become a battering...

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    • Public Shaming

      Sarah Warren married a man of means by the name of Robert Prince. She and her husband had two sons. Robert died early in the marriage. Sarah subsequently married Alexander Osborne, a hired worker at her estate. When Robert Prince’s estate was settled, Sarah assumed...

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    • The Cobra Effect

      The President of the United States set a tough goal for the American population to become vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Early on the American population responded, but the vaccinations stalled as social media sites started posting false information about the...

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    • Forces Against Democratic Decision Making

      The state’s flagship university was faced with a critical decision: should it require the COVID-19 vaccine for future registrations? The President and her cabinet had debated the issue for several weeks. The medical representatives on the cabinet were strong advocates...

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    • Moral Choices

      The COVID-19 pandemic brought attention to a little spoken of national concern: cheating in higher education. Those who focused on the issue found that cheating had been a problem before the pandemic but became more widespread as remote teaching made it tougher to...

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    • Common Sense and Democracy

      Natalie Johnson had just experienced the most frustrating day in her professional life. She had been hired by the Fairfax community to see if common ground could be found on a community development block grant. Without common ground, the grant request would be...

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