A Governance Framework for the Automated Age
Addresses automation-driven job displacement, wealth concentration, and corporate control of democracy. Combines market efficiency with social protection through democratic governance.
🏛️ The Foundation: Democracy Reform
Everything else depends on this. Without removing corporate money from politics, every other reform gets blocked by corporate lobbies. This must happen first.
Overturn Citizens United
End corporate control of democracy through constitutional amendment, comprehensive campaign finance reform, and lobbying restrictions. Unite left-right populist coalition against AIPAC and corporate money.
Why first: Medicare for All? Insurance lobby blocks it. Wealth tax? Corporate lobby blocks it. Worker protections? Business lobby blocks it. Nothing passes while corporations buy politicians.
Timeline: Year 1 legislation, Years 2-8 constitutional amendment ratification
→ View Complete Democracy Reform PlanCore Framework Components
Economic System
Wealth tax (incremental curve on net worth >$50M), automation dividend tax (taxes labor displacement), Adaptive Citizen Dividend, antitrust enforcement, and worker protections.
Possible once corporate lobby defeated
→ DetailsHealthcare System
Medicare for All—single-payer national health system. Everyone covered automatically from birth. Healthcare as human right, free at point of service.
Possible once insurance lobby powerless
→ Full SystemWorker Protections
Minimum wage indexed to productivity, mandatory works councils for workplace democracy, just cause employment, paid leave, gig worker classification.
Possible once business lobby weakened
→ DetailsAntitrust Enforcement
Break up tech monopolies (Amazon, Google, Meta), regulate payment infrastructure (Visa/Mastercard), prevent AI monopolies, mandate interoperability.
Possible once companies can't buy protection
→ DetailsHousing System
Progressive property taxation based on function, occupancy, and accumulation. Discourages speculation and hoarding while encouraging families and efficient use.
Possible once real estate lobby neutered
→ DetailsPrivacy & Data Rights
Zero-knowledge identity verification, data silos by function, privacy by architecture. Citizens own their data; verification occurs without revealing personal information.
Possible once tech lobby can't block
→ DetailsJustice System
Witness-based prosecution, rehabilitation focus, mental health response system, strict privacy protections, accountability for state power.
Possible once private prison lobby defeated
→ DetailsCore Principle
Democracy requires active maintenance. Markets concentrate wealth and power without intervention. Technology accelerates this concentration. Democratic governance must adapt to ensure technological progress benefits everyone, not just capital owners and platform monopolists.
The sequence matters: Fix democracy first (remove corporate money), then implement economic reforms (taxation, ACD, universal services), then maintain competitive markets (antitrust), then protect workers (voice and security). Each enables the next.
Implementation Approach
This framework provides direction and principles. Economists, policy experts, healthcare specialists, technologists, and legal scholars determine optimal implementation details. Evidence-based, pragmatic, flexible, transparent, and iterative.
Timeline:
- Year 1: Democracy Reform Act, begin Citizens United amendment process
- Years 2-4: Economic reforms pass (wealth tax, automation tax, worker protections), healthcare transition, antitrust enforcement, ACD pilots
- Years 5-8: Constitutional amendment ratified, full framework implementation, ACD national rollout
Why This Approach Succeeds
- Fixes root cause first: Democracy reform removes corporate veto over all other policies
- Addresses automation directly: Taxes displacement, funds ACD, enables transition
- Preserves markets: Competition continues, innovation proceeds, but gains shared broadly
- Politically achievable: Left-right populist coalition united against corruption
- Economically sustainable: Revenue streams scale with economic activity
- Future-proof: Designed for automated economy, adapts as technology accelerates