Review of Cycle-2 of the Spiral

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Categories	Plutocratic Pluralist-II	Conventionalist	Transcend'alist	Communalist	Participative Pluralist-III
Source of Power	Money and its control				Strengths of the people
Commonality Fundamentals
Integrating Force	Sectional ideals	Expressed public consensus	Personal convictions	Communities for each & all	Socially useful ideals
Socio-Political Institution	Interest-based groups	Self-mobilization of civil society	Genuine civic commitment	Needs-based policy-making	Communities of choice
Governance Requirement	Group representatives	Norms of professionalism	Application of ultimate values	Localism & subsidiarity	Community leaders
Individuality Fundamentals
Personal Benefit	Lobbying & group pressure	Better relations of the government and the people.	Self-acceptance	Being valued by the community	Criterion of reasoned fairness
Social Interactions	Targeted monitoring	Discussions in diverse networks	Empathy & compassion	Effective use of diversity	Interpersonal & social pressure
Provision of Knowledge	Crusades & campaigns	Multiplicity of perspectives	Accounts of psychosocial potentials	Freedom of information	Easy accessibility via multiple sources
Personal-Ethical Requirements
Core Value	Fraternity	Equality	Harmony	Peace	Fraternity
Civic Virtue	Prudence	Moderation	Integrity	Benevolence	Prudence

In the move Plutocratic pluralism ► Conventionalist ethos by way of a financial disaster, the populace will feel and express contempt, disgust and revulsion at its betrayal and exploitation by the political-financial elites. However, the recognition will dawn that the elites could only benefit themselves through an implicit acceptance and permission provided by the voters.

By recognizing their own destructive tendencies—to be infantilized, to get free-today pay-tomorrow lunches, to borrow and spend recklessly, to be over-protected from risks—the people will be able to obtain their freedom and retake their power.

The Conventionalist mode will seem to most elites like a step backwards—exactly the view of the traditional elites in regard to giving democracy to the masses. Nevertheless, the assumption of responsibility by the people for their government represents a major step forward.

The new politics will be made possible and propelled forward by technological developments associated with the Internet, mobile communications, and computer capabilities generally.

New technology will allow people to quickly and simply:

• form groups based on particular issues and interests,
• obtain relevant information,
• debate and communicate widely,
• put the case to those within government,
• disband following the resolution of a concern.

The limitations of a responsibility that is diffused over the citizenry will become slowly apparent. Fuelled by poor choices, discrimination against minorities and a lack of noble ideals, society will descend into a spiritual crisis.

Fortunately, any spiritual crisis contains the seeds of its own resolution through the awakening of latent spiritual capacities within many. This will manifest as the Transcendentalist mode in the realm of politics and government.

Through its focus on ultimate values and integrity, people will start developing a respect for convictions that give civic political participation a genuine meaning—possibly for the first time for many.

Citizenship will stop being a matter of socialization into blind patriotism as applied in Cycle-1. Instead it will become an expression of personal conviction and willingness as to which community and society a person chooses to reside and contribute.

The problem with transcendentalist principles is that they bring individuality to the fore and generate an intense differentiation of people. Many inequalities that were a source of so much discontent and false solutions are now unmistakably perceived as part of being human. This tragedy of individuality will serve as the precursor to the next and last Stage: the Communalist Mode.

Communalist principles express what the original notion of politics was all about:

• allowing people to live freely while protecting them from aggression or coercion by others; &
• ensuring that contracts and social goods are protected for the benefit of each and all.

Only at this stage will it be possible for any individual to have an impact, so far as is feasible, within their social group. This impact will be based on a return to effective localism in politics such that subsidiarity applies and there is a genuine devolution of political power and choice to communities.

Once a Communalist ethos is established, a re-worked participative pluralist ethos will be in place. It will not be a utopia. It will, however, allow people to live securely and peacefully, upholding their values and pursuing their interests in a constructive way.