A Different Way of Thinking—Another Way of Relating

Politics is about relationships among significant clusters of citizens in a cumulative, multilevel, and open-ended process of continuous interaction over time in whole bodies politic across permeable borders, either within or between countries or communities. In a whole body politic, citizens inside government must perform their tasks wisely, effectively, justly, and compassionately. In a whole body politic, citizens outside government must engage in the work of the body politic to do for themselves and for the greater good what governments cannot do. In a whole body politic, citizens inside and outside government together must relate in mutually respectful and productive ways. The political project of the twenty-first century—the citizens’ century—is to build whole bodies politic.