Chapter Five
Governance
Governance is the last of the four forces for a reason: it is the tool humans use to manage shifts in the first three. As change bubbles up from below—in resources, technology, and demographics—the role of governance is to sensibly and proactively respond in ways that will ensure the long-term stability of a society.
Resources, technology, and demographics are assets: things that have or can produce value and that can be owned or traded. In social groups, people pool their assets and work collaboratively to accomplish more than they can individually. A successful collaboration requires a common vision for the group and rules that ensure cooperation toward that end.
This kind of collective action needs to be organized ...
