Even though governmental gridlock is often frustrating, in some respects it can be more practical than the alternative. Among other things, gridlock acknowledges extensive competing demands on government budgets. And due in part to changes in lifestyle and individual priorities, some budgetary commitments no longer contribute to economic dynamism as ably as before, such as traditional physical infrastructure. Unfortunately, an undue focus on traditional infrastructure tends to detract from systems design options which more accurately mirror a fundamentally changed economy.
Systems maintenance trade offs are important as well. When we can't decipher how our time commitments translate into societal obligations, it only gets more difficult from there, to apportion remaining time for our own needs. We've gradually tossed much of our redistribution potential, via taxation, into a vast chasm of societal responsibilities. Could some of these processes take place on more productive terms? Even highly skilled knowledge is in certain respects a mundane maintenance function, yet we have few settings where it can be readily applied as such. In the future, as budgets become more constrained, what monetary values might public goods and services continue to hold? We need to create new market options while we can still think clearly about what will be involved. In other words, well before budgetary shortfalls make it necessary to do so on more stringent terms.
Each of us has a limited amount of money, time and resource capacity, for what societies wish to implement and hopefully, maintain. Alas, it is becoming less practical over time, to further add to environment maintenance costs (whether local, state or national) without clear specification of the trade offs, not to mention which income groups are actually expected to be responsible for costs. Much of what currently transpires is no longer realistic for societal coordination, given the wide variance in today's income levels. All the more so, when money mostly serves as a stand in for personal time or resource commitments.
Despite the importance of systems design on multiple levels, the broader trade offs that impact societal well being are not being accurately debated. Future systems design will have a greater chance of success, if and when it takes our broad income diversity into full account. Whenever income levels prove insufficient for systems maintenance, we can build respectable and desirable alternatives in the form of new environments, for those who lack the full monetary rewards of meritocracy. I would be remiss if I didn't add: When it comes to trade offs in general, this part of the public discussion has scarcely begun. Plus, when trade offs are discussed from a public choice perspective, it's not helpful when they are framed as "we would be better off without", if no market alternatives are being actively prepared for implementation. The rise and fall of Obamacare is just one egregious example.
A lack of systems design which could take different lifestyles and income levels into account, has also led to struggles whereby various groups attempt to impose their lifestyle preferences on other groups. In many instances it would be simpler to start from scratch, especially for the creation of walkable communities. New beginnings in systems design could ultimately lead to less political polarization, and more hope for the future. Restored hope in decentralized prosperity, could likely mean less struggle over opposing visions of the "good life". No one has ever successfully imposed their version of "best life" on any one else. People are far too stubborn for that to happen. So why do centralized governments keep trying to impose either/or lifestyle scenarios, which they inexplicably expect all citizens to live by?
However, the cronyism of special interests, has inadvertently contributed to today's either/or scenarios as well. Now, consider the consequences: When governments give in to the protectionism impulses of private interests, where is the logic in belittling citizens for responding by demanding similar protections? Despite the fact that protectionism has come full circle, and of course the global implications, there may yet be time to back away from this precipice. Why not work to reduce centralized and protectionist impulses while we still can. Why not build upon systems design which makes room for everyone, not just whichever fortunate individuals happen to be in power at any given moment. Ultimately, the best way to achieve sustainable trade offs, is to create ample economic options - options which allow all income levels to contribute and participate in society.
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