John:
Thomas Jefferson believed that the Three Pillars of Democracy were a free press, the right to vote and public education for an informed and educated citizenry. I decided to let Metis ,my AI assistant, take a shot at these pillars by using a tool that I learned in school. It was called Lewin’s Force Field Analysis. It was a means of looking at a problem in terms of driving forces and restraining forces. Driving forces helped us to overcome the problem and restraining forces gave us opposition to solving the problem If we applied Kurt Lewin’s force field analysis to each of these three factors or pillars, and we limited analysis to the top five restraining forces and top five driving forces, what would the 3 Pillars of Democracy look like? I asked Metis to do a force field analysis for each of these three factors. Following is her analysis of the problems we face today and my interpretations in terms of keeping America a Democratic country.
Metis:
That’s a very “Deming-meets-civics” kind of question—and a good one. You’re essentially asking: what forces are strengthening vs. weakening the foundational conditions of democracy? That’s exactly what Kurt Lewin had in mind.
I’ll structure each pillar as a classic force field diagram:
Driving forces → (push toward strength) | [PILLAR] | Restraining forces ← (push toward erosion)
- FREE PRESS
Force Field Diagram
Driving Forces →
- Investigative journalism traditions (e.g., watchdog role)
- Legal protections (First Amendment jurisprudence)
- Digital access to information (global reach, independent media)
- Nonprofit and independent journalism models
- Public demand for transparency and accountability
[ FREE PRESS ]
← Restraining Forces
- Media consolidation (corporate ownership concentration)
- Economic collapse of local journalism
- Disinformation ecosystems & algorithmic amplification
- Political attacks on press credibility (“enemy of the people” framing)
- Audience fragmentation into ideological echo chambers
Interpretation – John
The system is shifting from distributed local truth-seeking to centralized and fragmented attention markets. Driving forces still exist, but restraining forces are increasingly structural, not just behavioral. What this means is that we are institutionalizing the very forces that we wan to remove or weaken. We can see evidence of this every day as Congress; the Supreme Court and the Executive Branch of government are increasingly dysfunctional and no longer seem to represent the wishes of the people. Government today seems to be of the Oligarchs, by the Oligarchs and for the Oligarchs. The “Free Press” is controlled by those with money to spread the messages that they believe will help them to make even more money. Aided by politicians who benefit with the funds to help them to get reelected that Mediums that spreads the messages now sow misinformation, disinformation and selective narratives to support biased and prejudiced points of view. The average American no longer knows where to go to find the truth or any truth.
- RIGHT TO VOTE
Force Field Diagram
Driving Forces →
- Constitutional amendments expanding suffrage (15th, 19th, 26th)
- Civil rights enforcement & voting rights advocacy
- Increased voter awareness and mobilization efforts
- Mail-in voting and early voting innovations
- Judicial protections for equal access (at times)
[ RIGHT TO VOTE ]
← Restraining Forces
- Voter suppression tactics (ID laws, purges, polling access limits)
- Gerrymandering reducing electoral competitiveness
- Declining trust in election integrity
- Administrative barriers (complex registration systems)
- Political polarization discouraging participation
Interpretation: John
This pillar is steadily eroding and threatens to collapse. It is under continuous attack today as Gerrymandering and now a bill calle Save America seek to make it more difficult for people to register and vote. The voting system is also under attack from politicians claiming that it is rigged or that one side has cheated the other. Trump despite all evidence to the contrary still claims he won the 2020 Presidential election.
- PUBLIC EDUCATION (for an informed citizenry)
Force Field Diagram
Driving Forces →
- Universal K–12 education infrastructure
- Expansion of higher education access
- Civic education initiatives
- Digital learning resources and open knowledge
- Dedicated educators and institutional mission
[ PUBLIC EDUCATION ]
← Restraining Forces
- Funding inequities (property-tax-based disparities)
- Politicization of curriculum (history, civics conflicts)
- Declining emphasis on critical thinking/civics
- Teacher shortages and burnout
- Misinformation competing with formal education
Interpretation: John
This is the most upstream pillar—and in Deming terms, the most critical system constraint. If this weakens, the other two pillars degrade automatically. I have written extensively about the collapse of the Public Education system in America. It has been in decline since the beginning of the information age. As Marshal McLuhan so wisely noted, the availability of information was becoming greater outside of the classroom (At least in America) than it was inside the classroom. The simple fact necessitated major changes in how public education would be deliivere. Nevertheless, the erosion process was ignored until it become a political football. One side claiming that more money would solve the problem while the other side claimed private contract schools would be the answer. Neither side paid attention to the fact that a model of delivering education that worked in the 1900’s was no longer effective in the Twenty-First Century.
Putting It All Together (Systems Insight)
If Thomas Jefferson was right—
The Three Pillars Are Not Independent Systems
They form a reinforcing loop:
- Weak education → weaker critical thinking → more susceptibility to misinformation
- Weak press → poorer information environment → distorted voting decisions
- Weak voting systems → less accountability → further degradation of press and education
A Simple Meta-Diagram
Driving Forces (Democratic Health)
→ Education quality
→ Information integrity
→ Electoral access
SYSTEM: DEMOCRACY
Restraining Forces (Democratic Erosion)
← Misinformation
← Structural inequality
← Political manipulation
Conclusions: John
If Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin or any of the other Founding Fathers of this nation were alive today, they would not recognize what has happened to this country. Their dream of a land where truth, freedom, justice and equality would be foundations for a Nation of Democracy and Virtue lies in ashes. Ashes wrought by the greed that has infected humanity since the first cavepeople walked the earth. Greed is mentioned over 35 times in the Bible and Jesus mentions it at least four times in his teachings. Greed has always been with us but today it has practically been enshrined as a virtue. One infamous billionaire in this country gave a speech immortalized in the movie Wall Street where he trumpeted “Greed is Good.” This shallow aphorism was applauded by his audience. We see evidence all around us that Sodom and Gomorrah are alive and well when people brag about “Shopping until they drop” or “He who has the most toys wins.” Black Friday is now practically a national holiday as greedy people run around shopping for bargains on things they don’t really need but can buy cheap. Is it any wonder, that politics has now embraced the greed that runs through ever fabric of American lives.
The saddest part my friends is that all of the things I am talking about cannot coexist with the vision of Democracy that founded this nation.
We have a choice. We can choose Democracy or we can choose Greed. It can only be one or the other. Either our nation will be bought and sold by those with the most money or it will be a nation of informed and educated citizens with equal rights to vote and participate. It cannot be both.
Aging Capriciously 