Home Page - Defining Democracy

Democracy is a system of government in which power ultimately rests with the people, who exercise that power directly or through freely elected representatives.

We tend to think of democracy as an idea that we learn in school that some of us practice every two or four years. It is often confused with personal liberty, offered up to justify a right, as in, “This is a democracy, so I have the right to ___________.”

Ideas can be inconvenient and put aside in order to “get things done.” But things put aside are things that can get lost and forgotten.

Neglecting democracy can allow a community to split into tribes. Tribalism encourages people to bond but not to bridge, to signal but not to communicate, to react but not to initiate. To turn a once-vibrant community into a ZIP code.

I created this website to present democracy in a non-political, non-polarizing way—through real, everyday-life video examples—drawing on my intertwined careers as a documentary filmmaker and organizational consultant.

In the 1970s, I explored the “blue collar blues” through documentary films, uncovering both the causes and the cures for workplace dissatisfaction. A Ford Foundation fellowship to UCLA’s Center for Quality of Work Life drew me out from behind the camera and into the world of participatory management and industrial democracy.

Democratizing the workplace and the wider society share much in common, yet their tone has differed: in politics, it has often been turbulent and adversarial, a zero-sum game, while in industry it offered benefits of collaboration, win-win. My goal is to bring the lessons learned on the shop floor to the public square.

Like a good brew, democracy is created from simple ingredients, close to home and often overlooked. It begins with public places where people from different walks of life can meet, mingle, and connect. Add a pinch of curiosity to spark conversation. Stir in leadership that invites participation rather than fears it. And finally, choose a place alive with diversity—where new people, new ideas, and new experiences flow in.

Together, let’s rediscover the social capital all around us and see how it can be transformed into a culture that supports democracy.

Think of this as a citizen’s toolkit for reclaiming and rebuilding community.

Let’s Make America Civil Again!

The Examples