Writers and Readers discussion

I've written a 117k-word book which is, essentially, a rewrite of the democratic system of govt to include all the things we've learned about human nature & group behavior since 1787. And to make government & democracy workable again - i.e. non-capturable. Feedback from beta readers would be much appreciated. I'd be happy to send a sample chapter or two, or the whole thing - whatever's preferred.

The book's called 'The Mechanics of Changing the World'.

Here's the back cover blurb:

This book argues that war, inequality & species loss—crime, rampant bureaucracy & bought politics—are insoluble within our current system of governance. Our social and economic issues are, at bottom, a democracy issue. Until we address them at the level of the system that gives rise to them, we’re combating consequences, not causes.

Third draft democracy is a suite of interlocking constitutional reforms to decontaminate politics, decentralize information, and democratize decision-making. It’s a natural evolution of the first (Greek) and second (Euro-American) ‘drafts’ of the democratic experiment.

Changing the world requires more than inspired troubleshooting: it requires architecture.


John Macgregor worked in federal politics, won national awards for literature & investigative journalism, managed aid projects in Cambodia, & wrote the story development for the movie Shine. From Washington, Rangoon & occupied East Timor, he has reported on science, politics, corruption & modern slavery, for such outlets as New Scientist, The Sydney Morning Herald & The New York Times.

About this book, Macgregor said: “Since 1787, our knowledge of human nature has evolved. We’ve learned we’re an egalitarian species, & are good at collective decision-making. We hate rigged rules & biased information. Under the right conditions, we’re naturals at social harmony. It’s way past time this knowledge was reflected in our national constitutions.

“A constitution’s growing ignorance of the present makes it into a Pandora’s box—releasing ‘plagues’ such as bought politics and environmental overshoot. We’re forever going after the plagues: our real attention should be on the box.”

(Thanks!)