Explore powerful ideas, memorable quotes, and practical lessons from books worth reading.
American public servants wear no special uniforms, have no honor guard or fancy ritual privileges, their authority only comes from their job duties, not their social status.
In democratic countries, people's love for equality is far stronger and more lasting than their love for freedom. Most people can accept unequal freedom temporarily, but can never stand unequal equality.
1. All voters elect 19 part-time public positions yearly. 2. New public projects need full town meeting approval. 3. Public servants get paid by actual work done, no fixed salary.
In peaceful democratic countries, military promotion follows strict seniority rule, ambitious young soldiers have no way to get promoted, so they all hope war breaks out to get fast promotion opportunities.
Americans build all kinds of voluntary associations to run schools, churches, hospitals, even push national prohibition movement, no government or noble can replace the function of these groups.
The honor rule in US society that highly praise practical business traits, people respect hard working and risk taking businessmen, no one sees making money as a shameful thing.
Township self-rule is far easier to be crushed by central power than top-level political systems. It can only survive long when local autonomy has become shared social custom for generations.
A mature local governance model in 17th century New England, where all local residents vote directly on township affairs, no representative system applied for small local issues.
There is no top-down hierarchy in local US governance, all local public servants are elected by local residents directly, no superior government can remove them before their term ends.
A rational self-centered stance that people cut connection with wider social community, only stay in the small circle of family and close friends, and care nothing about public affairs.
The US Congress has Senate and House, the Senate follows equal representation for every state while the House follows population proportion rule, which balances small and big state interests.
The absolute power of majority in US does not punish dissidents physically, but it squeezes their public space, isolates them socially, and forces them to accept mainstream ideas silently.
On the free state side of Ohio River, population is dense, industry is prosperous. On the slavery Kentucky side, land is underdeveloped, productivity is far lower, showing slavery kills work initiative.
Letting residents participate in small local public affairs like road construction, people will realize they need each other to get things done, and get out of their isolated private small circles.
Most ordinary people in democratic countries have their own small property, they hate chaos and war which will destroy their wealth, so they form a wide consensus to maintain long term peace.
After long time war, all old lazy officers are eliminated by harsh environment, all top talents in the country join the army to pursue fame, so a group of excellent young generals will come out.
During the US Independence War crisis, the public put aside their usual preference for mediocre candidates, and picked those with outstanding talent and good reputation to lead the new nation through hard times.
It is the most natural grassroots community formed spontaneously when a few people settle together, no top-down design required, and closely fits human basic survival instincts.
The core rule that every individual has equal sovereignty power, people only obey social rules when they agree collective supervision benefits everyone, and stay fully independent on private matters.
Unlike the directly elected House, senators are elected by state legislatures indirectly, which filters out impulsive public passion, makes long-term stable policies that benefit the whole country.
