Why doesn’t government work?
Is it the politicians, the civil servants, the political parties?
Or is it the system in which they all operate?
The Hidden Power goes behind the sporting spectacle of modern politicking to find the real villain.
This series of six podcasts, broadcast weekly from October 10th, provides both critique and answers.
Good government is entirely possible - but not in its current guise.
Hosted by Ed Straw, former chair of Demos - the cross-party think-tank on democracy, and producer Philip Tottenham.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why doesn’t government work?
Is it the politicians, the civil servants, the political parties?
Or is it the system in which they all operate?
The Hidden Power goes behind the sporting spectacle of modern politicking to find the real villain.
This series of six podcasts, broadcast weekly from October 10th, provides both critique and answers.
Good government is entirely possible - but not in its current guise.
Hosted by Ed Straw, former chair of Demos - the cross-party think-tank on democracy, and producer Philip Tottenham.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Designs for action shall be put into practice in the knowledge and positive acceptance that feedback may result in their amendment.
Decisions, decisions: as we saw in the last episode, 150 per week per ministry, each spouting its share of paperwork like a photocopier out of control, swamping its surroundings with verbiage, utterly lacking in practical intent, and for anyone trying to see if the system works in any meaningful way - bewildering in its senselessness.
But who are the people who make these decisions? And what do they know, really? And what are they expecting to come of them? Contemplating these questions quickly draws one to the conclusion that we are watching a pantomime, a Punch and Judy show, that exists to conceal the pointless governmental machine that is out of control.
This principle does two things: it reframes these empty "decisions" in their ideal and realistic intent - to bring about beneficial change, as designs for action. And in being realistic, it is realistic about how plans - designs - need to be course-corrected on contact with reality: they need to evolve.
Talking points:
First and second order cybernetics: Dashboards, and people within the control system
Running the country: the pantomime and the possibilities
We would fail if we were politicians too
The risks of ineptitude: London as an instrument of Russian power
Market liberalisation as a decision - out of sight, out of mind
Financial crisis - absence of feedback!
Design authority in context: how to prevent ships sinking?
The spirit of improvement and learning, the operating principles
Every design for action is an experiment
Failure inquiries - here to learn, not to blame.
Root causes and purpose: Why is government here?
The promise of systems thinking: living in paradise, sufficiency
The four main benefits of feedback
The fundamental importance of good feedback
Systems sensibility
Factfulness: opinions based on strong supporting facts
7 psychological sins of investing
Psychological defensiveness
Labour and smoking: a day out
Presumption and personal experience
Links:
Dr. Fiona Hill on The Rachman Review:
https://play.acast.com/s/therachmanreview/comingtotermswithputinsrussia
Stein Ringen (youtube/RSA):
The Roslings on Factfulness (TED talk)
Steven Pinker on the world getting better (TED talk)
Falsifiability - Karl Popper (wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falsifiability
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
