Disrupting Established Political Institutions

This seminar was given on April 16, 2012 at Co-Merge in San Diego.

Swarm Transit Presentation
Disrupting Established Political Institutions Presentation

OVERVIEW

In “The Age of the Unthinkable,” Joshua Cooper Ramo writes, “we’ve left our future largely in the hands of people whose single greatest characteristic is that they are bewildered by the present.” Nearly every aspect of our society has undergone fundamental and revolutionary change in the past 100 years except our two-party electoral system. We’ve seen grassroots organizations like the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street rise up in an attempt to go beyond these Institutions and implement change. Yet, the system seems as entrenched as ever.

This month’s Disruptive Thinkers Seminar will feature Jamie Story, Managing Director of the Campaign for Primary Accountability (CPA). CPA is a Super PAC whose purpose is to defeat Congressional incumbents regardless of political party. The GOP has blacklisted CPA’s conservative consultants for disrupting their political duopoly. We’ll be looking at the relevance of the two-party system, how innovation may change the conversation, and discuss if it will ever be possible for pragmatic idea-leaders to have a say amidst ideological rigidity. Is the velocity of ideas outpacing the ability of our policymakers to integrate timely and appropriate solutions?

Assignment:

Invite someone new to Disruptive Thinkers.

Think about innovations in your workplace that could affect electoral outcomes. If you like the state of politics today, come ready to explain. If you are turned off, what would get you more involved?

Book:

The Age of the Unthinkable: Why the New World Disorder Constantly Surprises Us and What We Can Do About It. Joshua Cooper Ramo

Articles:

Congressman Hurt to Discover Lobbyist Not Really His Friend (The Onion)

A Moderate Conservative Dilemma, (David Brooks, New York Times)

Anti-Incumbent Super PAC Adds to Congress’s Sense of Insecurity (New York Times)

Learning to Love the Super PAC (National Journal)

Websites:

Resilient Communities

No Labels: Not Left. Not Right. Forward.

Americans Elect

Campaign for Primary Accountability