Creating and Maintaining "the public"

Democracy is based on the idea of "the public", to which everyone belongs and has responsibilities.

The public creates a government for itself, and conveys 'sovereignty' to the government. The government is not a party to a contract with citizens: it is the product of a contract among citizens.

In a democracy, the public is inclusive, so self-selected communities and stakeholder groups are not "the public". The public is everyone, including the minority, and the minority must be respected. The public is enduring, so a plurality on one issue -- or many issues -- is not "the public".

In many places democratic government is incomplete and/or weak because citizens do not understand and maintain "the public". In such situations, politics and government becomes oriented toward special interests. The rationale for decisions moves from being made in the public interest to being made in the best interests of sectors (such as "business", or "labour", or "health", or "the environment".

Governments should make public policy decisions that are creative, comprehensive, and compelling. For example, a good decision about education will also be a good decision about health, the environment, and the economy.