New Book Envisions Solutions to Political Apathy, Gridlock, Campaign Finance

New book by John Boik, Ph.D. titled "Creating Sustainable Societies: The Rebirth of Democracy and Local Economies" tackles economic and political ills.

2012-10-26

IRVINE, CA, October 26, 2012 (Press-News.org) A new book by John Boik, Ph.D. titled "Creating Sustainable Societies: The Rebirth of Democracy and Local Economies" combines cues from ancient Athens, modern New England and computational sociology to offer a novel solution to current political ills: collaborative direct democracy.

"The U.S. political system is in trouble. Apathy is widespread, the two-party system limits the political process, big corporations and wealthy individuals exercise undue influence over legislation and elections, and campaign costs are skyrocketing," said Boik. "With help from modern communications technology and developments in the social sciences, we can do better. The promise of effective, efficient, transparent, and engaging systems of online voting and e-governance lies before us."

Boik founded the Principled Societies Project in 2012. The project's aim is to develop and test new systems of finance, economics, and governance intended for metro-scale implementation. Systems tested include e-governance, local currencies and socially responsible corporate models. Scientific pilot trials are planned using volunteers in host cities. Rather than replacing current systems, the new systems act as complements.

"Building the health and well-being of local communities is a viable path to a brighter and more democratic future," said Boik. "The technology and science are now available, and the book presents a strategy to take the next step forward."

Mariano Torras, a professor of economics at Adelphi University, noted that the book "not only lucidly presents the principal challenges of the 21st century but also contributes concrete ideas about how to address them." Ian Fletcher, a senior economist for the Coalition for a Prosperous America, cites the book as "a welcome addition to the much-needed debate on political and economic self-determination."

Boik is a visiting scientist at the University of California Irvine. He received a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of Texas, Health Sciences Center, Houston, and completed postdoctoral work at Stanford University, Department of Statistics.

For more information and a media kit, please visit www.PrincipledSocietiesProject.org.

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