Complexity and governance

[conceptualizer]

Observations:
1 Civilisation continues to become more sophisticated and so more complex.
2 As the complexity of any system increases it becomes progressively more difficult to manage effectively.
Conjecture:
Eventually the complexity of a society will become so great, that to have any chance of being effective government must be designed around the best means available for managing complexity.
Hypothesis:
Governments are already evidently not effective. The evidence is the on-going massive mismanagement of many of the most sophisticated economies.
Non-specialists are less effective on a matter than its specialists. Therefore complex systems are most effective when each matter is managed by its specialists. Hierarchical authority is designed to move authority away from specialists to generalists and so is inherently inappropriate for managing complex systems effectively.
One obvious conclusion is that government should be a system of specialists acting only in their specialist field and with no authority hierarchy.
Caveat:
The most important objective of government is to be effective.

[Bill Wiltrack]

.






Respectfully, I will use your conclusion as the basis of my thesis.


A thesis that could not be more directly opposed to your conclusion.


Governments have become a system of specialists acting only in their specialist field and with no authority hierarchy.







........................................................................................................

..............................................................................................................There you go!

.

[Impenitent]

...One obvious conclusion is that government should be a system of specialists acting only in their specialist field and with no authority hierarchy.
Caveat:
The most important objective of government is to be effective.

of course there is no "expert" or "specialist" that understands each individual outside themselves...

effective anarchy...

-Imp

[bobevenson]

Governments are already evidently not effective.

Tell that to the North Koreans, Chinese and Cubans. I think those people would say their government is extremely effective in practicing oppression, even more so than the governments of Europe.

[henry quirk]

"Eventually the complexity of a society will become so great, that to have any chance of being effective government must be designed around the best means available for managing complexity."

...or...

'Experts' can stop pretending to know what's in the best interest of the folks those experts would direct.

Some wag wrote, "That government is best which governs least".

The wag was/is right.

#

"The most important objective of government is to be effective."

If government is a currently 'necessary evil', then the reliance of any one on such a thing should be minimal and only 'as necessary'.

'Effective' governance, as I see it, is synonymous with a proliferation of that evil.

No, the problem, as I see it, isn't that government can't -- in its current iterations -- keep up with an overly complex society, but, that 'society' is seen as somehow more 'real' than the tangible individuals who comprise it, and 'needs' to be managed.

[bobevenson]

The most important objective of government is to be effective.

Genghis Khan's government was as effective as they come, and negative views of Genghis Khan persist in histories written by many cultures from different geographical regions. They often cite the cruelties and destruction brought upon by Mongol armies, not to mention the systematic slaughter of civilians in the conquered regions. Is there time to bring up the Third Reich?

[MartinusPolonus]

The problem is not only popular governance, but also statism. Large government cannot solve problems that are so complex as in modern civilisation. Decentralisation and limiting power of government would be very useful.

[duszek]

Observations:
1 Civilisation continues to become more sophisticated and so more complex.
2 As the complexity of any system increases it becomes progressively more difficult to manage effectively.
Conjecture:
Eventually the complexity of a society will become so great, that to have any chance of being effective government must be designed around the best means available for managing complexity.
Hypothesis:
Governments are already evidently not effective. The evidence is the on-going massive mismanagement of many of the most sophisticated economies.
Non-specialists are less effective on a matter than its specialists. Therefore complex systems are most effective when each matter is managed by its specialists. Hierarchical authority is designed to move authority away from specialists to generalists and so is inherently inappropriate for managing complex systems effectively.
One obvious conclusion is that government should be a system of specialists acting only in their specialist field and with no authority hierarchy.
Caveat:
The most important objective of government is to be effective.

Do you plead for a technocracy ?
Technical staff for each area.

Would these highly specialized teams be able to communicate with each other ?

Some problems may affect several areas.
Who should mediated between two teams of technocrats ?

[homegrown]

Hypothesis: Society only becomes as complex as it can - given conditions including governance.

[duszek]

But does more governance imply more complexity or less complexity ?
In your hypothesis.

[homegrown]

Damn! I should have said 'proposition:'

But I suppose you would concede that any system of governance dictates the complexity of society to a greater or lesser degree? Or suggest only illegal forces add to the complexity of society?

No. I agree. Not quite, but closing in.

Thoughts?

hg.

[duszek]

What would be an un-complex society ?

Probably one in which people live in families, hunt and raise children together and that´s it.
It would be governed by the strongest member of the family.
Or the smartest.
Or the most prestigious one.

Governing would include making decisions when enemies showed up or dangers and solving conflicts within the family or tribe.

[bobevenson]

The problem is not only popular governance, but also statism. Large government cannot solve problems that are so complex as in modern civilisation. Decentralisation and limiting power of government would be very useful.

It's not a question of limiting the size or power of government, it's limiting its scope. The only proper function of government is social integration.