Anne, I think this captures a challenge that extends far beyond government reform. Lasting change rarely comes from a single organization or individual, it emerges when a community develops a shared language, common principles, and a collective commitment to advancing an idea over time. That's what transforms isolated efforts into a true field. Building that kind of ecosystem requires more than technical expertise; it requires trust, collaboration, and a compelling narrative that helps people see themselves as contributors to something larger than their own organization. Those are the conditions that allow meaningful change to endure.
This was great. My experience with both field-building and field catalysis (eg Frontline Justice, Welcome, More Perfect) is that another really important dimension - which y’all are modeling, in part by this very post - is also the *will to lead*. It’s not an exagerration (as your narrative best points out) that a field’s ability to recognize it’s a field often presents as a kind of *awakening*. And all good awakenings could use motivated evangels.
there's strong evidence that by far the biggest reform you could support is score voting, even the simplified 0-1 binary form known as "approval voting". extensive monte carlo simulations say it roughly *doubles* the human-welfare-increasing impact of democracy, thus also making every other policy reform easier.
Thanks Anne for writing this. I think I'm going to find myself coming back to this article a couple of more times to fully ingest what it is that you are trying to build and how it shapes and influences my own thinking. I love that you are taking a longer time horizon but also working to create small and meaningful impacts to enable the transition. Saving our democracy requires many things, but one of them is well functioning government that enables and creates trust, and I hope you are successful in cultivating a field of practitioners.
Hey Anne, I like the clarity this brings to the macro-ecosystem we are all trying to build. It got me thinking about how that connects to the micro-level 'fields of play' we encounter inside government every day. Specifically, the friction of trying to play on a rink that hasn't seen a zamboni in a while. I wrote a short piece reflecting on this on-the-ground reality a while back, and thought you might appreciate how the two perspectives dance together.
Anne, I think this captures a challenge that extends far beyond government reform. Lasting change rarely comes from a single organization or individual, it emerges when a community develops a shared language, common principles, and a collective commitment to advancing an idea over time. That's what transforms isolated efforts into a true field. Building that kind of ecosystem requires more than technical expertise; it requires trust, collaboration, and a compelling narrative that helps people see themselves as contributors to something larger than their own organization. Those are the conditions that allow meaningful change to endure.
Well said. As a defense policy professional, narratives are what help organize the work of many.
This was great. My experience with both field-building and field catalysis (eg Frontline Justice, Welcome, More Perfect) is that another really important dimension - which y’all are modeling, in part by this very post - is also the *will to lead*. It’s not an exagerration (as your narrative best points out) that a field’s ability to recognize it’s a field often presents as a kind of *awakening*. And all good awakenings could use motivated evangels.
Yes, this "willing to lead" point is very well put Zac.
Thank you!!
there's strong evidence that by far the biggest reform you could support is score voting, even the simplified 0-1 binary form known as "approval voting". extensive monte carlo simulations say it roughly *doubles* the human-welfare-increasing impact of democracy, thus also making every other policy reform easier.
https://rangevoting.net/RelImport
this basically just needs money for signature gathering and winning campaigns. it's extremely cost effective.
a possibly even stronger case exists for election by jury.
https://www.electionbyjury.org/manifesto
Thanks Anne for writing this. I think I'm going to find myself coming back to this article a couple of more times to fully ingest what it is that you are trying to build and how it shapes and influences my own thinking. I love that you are taking a longer time horizon but also working to create small and meaningful impacts to enable the transition. Saving our democracy requires many things, but one of them is well functioning government that enables and creates trust, and I hope you are successful in cultivating a field of practitioners.
Hey Anne, I like the clarity this brings to the macro-ecosystem we are all trying to build. It got me thinking about how that connects to the micro-level 'fields of play' we encounter inside government every day. Specifically, the friction of trying to play on a rink that hasn't seen a zamboni in a while. I wrote a short piece reflecting on this on-the-ground reality a while back, and thought you might appreciate how the two perspectives dance together.
https://medium.com/@l.nelson.hamilton/organizations-as-fields-of-play-42c5dbb7568
Really helpful!