There are several reasons why Western governance is failing:

(1) The tendency to shift power from local to national and super-national scope (European Union; United States). Large scale governance does not work well. Local has challenges but, in the aggregate, works better, and gives people more freedom to choose where they “fit in”.

(2) The idea that everyone should have a vote. Elections then become a popularity contest, instead of an intelligent referendum on issues. There should be fair competency criteria for who can vote. Instead, US election campaigns are driven by sound bites aimed at the masses and funded by special interests.

(3) Our failure to control the influence of special interests. That is perhaps the biggest problem. Our courts have failed us in equating paid advertising to free speech — giving those with deep pockets are louder voice. We also allow paid lobbyists easy access to our representatives — something that should be illegal; and we allow our representatives and administrators to leave office and take jobs in the industries that they oversaw — another prescription for system failure.

(4) Our failure to prevent monopolies. By allowing companies to merge and grow so large that they dominate markets, we have enabled the creation of powerful entities that rival governments. Access to US markets should only be allowed under conditions that those who are selling to us operate in a fair market — not a “free” one. A $500B company wants to sell to US consumers? It should need to spin off smaller independent entities to do so.

(5) Electing lawyers to public office. I have friends who are lawyers. They are wonderful. But lawyers are the wrong people to put in charge of policy. We need economists, scientists, and educators.

(6) Allowing the media to consolidate has destroyed its diversity and independence; yet a republic relies on the media and dissemination of diverse viewpoints in order for the republic to function well.