Hazel Henderson, "Perfecting Democracy's Tools"

The argument can be made that politics is the greatest casualty of our educational system. We study economics in economics classes, science in departments of biology and chemistry, and political science as a specialized discipline much like all the others. We seldom have the chance, though, to explore the connections between business trends and legislation, or between the environment and federal policy. Because we often think of politics as separate from the other aspects of our lives, few people have considered the possibility that the information revolution might also pave the way for a profound change in our political processes.

One person who has written thoughtfully about this subject is the independent scholar Hazel Henderson, who is most widely known for her work on the environment, communications, and global economics. Early in her career, Henderson became intrigued by the failures of economic and technological modernization in the Third World or Least Developed Countries (LDCs). In a series of books and articles, including Creating Alternative Futures: The End of Economics (1978), Building a Win-Win World: Life Beyond Global Economic Warfare (1996), and Beyond Globalization: Shaping a Sustainable Global Economy (1999), Henderson questioned the widely held assumption that modernization was simply a matter of importing scientific know-how and attracting adequate investment. Arguing that cultural, historical, and environmental factors had been fatally overlooked in efforts to offer international assistance, Henderson became a voice in the world community for "sustainable development," development designed to preserve or enhance the social and ecological health of local communities, as well as their political autonomy. In "Perfecting Democracy's Tools," Henderson considers how advances in communications technology might serve to make participatory democracy possible.

In order to appreciate the argument that follows, readers need to understand the kind of work that Henderson typically does. We might think of her as a "connector," to use Malcolm Gladwell's term. While some writers are widely known for developing new and often specialized paradigms, others play an equally important role by bringing together many different paradigms in original ways. Although Henderson has certainly done specialized work of her own, much of her writing is primarily connective. Here she provides her readers with the "tools" they will need in reconsidering the possibilities for direct democracy.

Henderson, Hazel, "Perfecting Democracy's Tools," Building a Win-Win World: Life Beyond Global Economic Warfare. (McGraw-Hill, 1996).
Digital image and biographical information from Hazel Henderson's home page.

Links to Explore:

"Mr. Bush's Win-Win Option": article by Hazel Henderson on how to shape foreign policy after 9/11.

The Calvert-Henderson Quality of Life Indicators: a joint effort by the Calvert Group investing firm and Hazel Henderson to define and measure the quality of life with the ultimate goal of shaping public and foreign policy.

The National Initiative for Democracy: grassroot effort to provide citizens with ways to share law-making powers with state and federal representatives. Includes a discussion of how telephone and internet voting increase voter turnout and enable participation in direct democracy.

"Voting Alone": opinion piece by Rick Valelly that argues against using the Internet to increase voter turnout.

Questions for Learning:

• "Mr. Bush's Win-Win Option": gives us an example of Henderson's theory of the "win-win world" being put into practice. What do you think of her suggestions for how the United States should interact with the United Nations? Is there anything that private citizens can do to bring about the changes in policy she describes? With access to the Internet and a reading audience, can Henderson herself advance this project or is this simply more words tossed into the cyber-void.
  
  
• The Calvert-Henderson Quality of Life Indicators seek to define and measure the quality of life around the globe. What are the quality of life indicators that they've identified? What do you make of this project? Do you accept the premise that there are certain basic indicators of the quality of life that transcend nations and cultures? What are the social and political implications that follow from accepting this premise?
  
  
• What, exactly, is The National Initiative for Democracy seeking to accomplish? What are the threats to democarcy as this organization sees it? How will the amendment that vote.org proposes address and resolve these problems?
  
  
• In "Voting Alone" Professor Valelly argues that "e-voting pushes us toward political anomie." What does he mean by this? Would e-voting alter your voting habits? Would it encourage you to be more, or less, informed? How do you think Henderson would respond to his charges about the consequences of linking technology to the democratic process? 

Questions for Connecting:

• One could say that both Hazel Henderson and James Scott are interested in the quality of life. Would the improvements to the democratic process that Henderson proposes alter the relationship between the public and private transcript that Scott describes? That is, in a well functioning democracy, would there be a need for a public and private transcript?

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