Modern technology makes it possible to re-create the direct democracy as it was invented in ancient Greece. All Greek citizens, with the noteworthy exception of women and slaves, participated in day to day decision making about their society. The Greek model is a far cry from today’s democracy allowing citizens to elect a candidate every four years or so. But a candidate for the city council of Boulder, Colorado, is determined to change that. He will give up his vote to an app he invented himself were he to win the election. That’s right, instead of making decisions himself, he will allow people in his community to vote through the app. If more than 50 percent of the people in his community vote “yes” on an issue through the app, he will vote the same way they do. Take note: this is the beginning of direct democracy.
The return of direct democracy: This politician will give his seat to an app
More of Today's Solutions
Germany’s coal mines are now Europe’s largest lake district
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM When the last miners left the open-cast lignite pits of eastern Germany’s Lusatia region, they left behind craters ...
Read MoreThe sensory superpower that lets seals hunt in total darkness
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM When a fish moves through water, it doesn’t simply pass through and vanish. It leaves a trail of ...
Read MoreAI helps restore Rembrandt masterpiece that was disfigured 300 years ago
In 1715, three-quarters of a century after Rembrandt painted it, The Night Watch was greatly disfigured when it was moved from its original location ...
Read MoreA new way to stack bricks could help clean Bangladesh’s air
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In the cool, dry winters of Bangladesh, the country’s 8,000-plus brick kilns roar to life. Coal-fed and open-air, ...
Read More
