First, my latest book was just published and is available for free:
A President’s Manifesto, A model for how presidential candidates can tell their stories by James A. George (c) 2019. (Email: jimgeorgeauthorarchway@gmail.com for a free copy, Pdf or ibook/Applebook.
Two books were published in 2017:
How to Select an American President and
Regenerating America with Sustainable Economics, Archway Publishing Division of Simon & Schuster.
Another book, no less important is
Smart Data, Enterprise Performance Optimization Strategy by James A. George and James A. Rodger (c) 2010 Wiley Publishing.
My messages are aimed at generations now and in the future. We have much work to do to repair the American Political System.
Preface
This book is the third in a series that assists American voters in improving the selection of Presidential candidates and other elected officials. Following the publication of How to Select an American President by James A. George with James A. Rodger © 2017 Archway Publishing1, we hope that readers will have considered how to evaluate presidential candidate resumes. If you voters have not properly vetted the candidates, then it matters not what they have to say because they may lack competence, capacity, and character to deliver.
Vetting begins when political parties verify and validate candidate resumes and qualifications by their standards. It concludes with individual voters performing their own inspection of candidate resumes. Supporting the process is The free-press media who explore and publish candidates’ words and deeds support the process.
We know that most American voters have done little to improve their ability to make better choices. How about you? That factor of neglect undermines the democratic republic. One conservative said in reference to the pursuit of Constitutional freedom and liberty, “All of that is hyperbole.” He meant “claims not meant to be taken literally.” That person is extremely wealthy and earned most of it from contracting with the US Department of Defense. It is ironic and one of many instances of how Republicans have morphed from being patriotic to authoritarian.
As an author, I don’t enjoy taking political sides. I believe that it is essential to have viable political parties that represent different approaches to managing a pluralistic democratic republic. That doesn’t preclude my having opinions. When I observe a political party actively seeking to suppress voters, then that draws a line between right and wrong. Also, when I observe the President of the United States lying incessantly before the citizens, I report that as a violation of the law that prohibits members of the federal government from doing that.
“Making false statements (18 U.S.C. § 1001) is the common name for the United States federal crime laid out in Section 1001 of Title 18 of the United States Code, which generally prohibits knowingly and willfully making false or fraudulent statements, or concealing information, in ‘any matter within the jurisdiction’ of the federal government of the United States.”2
The evidence persists among many states in which Republicans seek to suppress voter participation that is truly undemocratic. “Republicans Have a Secret Weapon in the Midterms: Voter Suppression: After losing in 2012, the GOP enacted the harshest limits on voting since Jim Crow. It could make the difference this year from Florida to North Dakota.”3
Only one in seven eligible voters make it to the polls because they say they are too busy working, or otherwise can’t find the time. A national voter holiday might be the answer to increase participation.
In another book, published recently, Regenerating America with Sustainable Economics by James A. George and James A. Rodger © 2017 Archway Publishing,4 we discussed the limitations of capitalism and challenged that capitalists are not patriotic in that their allegiance to pursuing profit is greater than the pursuit of democratic ideals. We proposed the development of an alternative economic model that better suits democratic governments. The relationship between the government and the economy is symbiotic.
The challenge is to motivate our considerable audience to attend to their democracy, and that begins with attracting academic professors in political science and history to engage the topics. The public requires mass education about citizens’ roles and responsibilities in democratic self-governance. That entails more than voting. It demands set-asides in time and devotion to engaging local, state, and the federal governments with active participation.
An argument can be made that voters should “use it or lose it,” that is, if you miss voting without good reason, you must reapply. Or, perhaps, there should be a standard for voting akin to immigrant and new citizens having to pass a test for citizenship. It would be like requiring a bad driver to retake a driver’s examination after an accident. Of course, no one would like that direction. In fact, the trend is the opposite as the State of Florida is now allowing former felons to vote.5
The burden is on voters to improve the American political system. If you like the outcome from Election 2016, then you probably believe that conditions are copasetic. If you think that both political parties and their leadership need retooling, then this book is for you.
When candidates (and incumbents) are unqualified, they can inflict damage to the nation. political parties and the media help voters verify and validate candidates’ qualifications and credentials. The next step is to consider what candidates have to say in describing their priorities and management approach. Describing their management approach is next because associated strengths and deficiencies determine the American nation’s capacity and degree of leadership performance.
In the book, Smart Data, Enterprise Performance Optimization Strategy by James A. George and James A. Rodger © 2010, Wiley Publishing6, Dr. Rodger and I introduced a better approach for managing massively complex enterprises. It was based on experience in serving clients in the commercial enterprise as well as the US Department of Defense and Health and Human Services. While the DOD embraced some of the ideas, we found it difficult to get traction with the US government because leaders in the Executive and Legislative branches are too transient. There is little incentive in the bureaucracy to pursue change and improvement. Some characterize these conditions as being systemic failures.
Today, the American nation is on a shaky ground resulting from a lack of standards and deficient process. In fact, the trend is more precarious as the
scope and scale of problems and opportunities increase thereby demanding higher capabilities and competence. Without you, the citizen-voters, acting to improve each generation, the population degrades against advancing demands for higher competence. Matters get much worse as evidenced by today’s situation.
Books in this series, help voters step into the future beyond current difficulties. One can become so embroiled in the present that the future is cheated from improvement. Action in addressing your deficiencies as voters today will pay off for future generations.
It is fair to ask about the indications that substantiate this declaration. Witness now, that foreign governments and hostile entities attempted to subvert the fair election process. According to CIA and FBI reports, Russia and WikiLeaks acted in concert to influence the election with false news, propaganda, and manipulation. Candidate Donald Trump encouraged more of this in his speeches. To some, that makes him a collaborator, a severe and impeachable charge.
While writing the first draft, there were calls by some for a new election. There were appeals to the Electoral College not to seat Donald Trump. Some considered presenting a case to the Supreme Court appeal for a new election. The outcome was uncertain, and then it was not.
There was an “Emolument Clause” suit pending against President Trump that alleged conflict of interest and Constitutional violation. There are sexual assault accusations. Trump’s executive order governing immigration was put on hold by the court for further legal review. Other of his executive actions are being contested as to their legality. A case against Trump University for fraud was settled out of court. The Trump “charitable” non-profit organization was decertified and the board members including the Trump children and son-in-law are facing prosecution for fraud and misuse of funds. President Trump’s characterizing a court justice as a “so-called judge” may result in his being censored if he persists. Any of these instances could result in Trump’s impeachment making his presidency tenuous.
Impeachment actions are dependent on Congress, and a Republican-led politically aligned government has no appetite for rocking the positive economic boat. The results of the Mid-term Congressional election 2018 could initiate a change in direction for Congress. A Special Prosecutor’s report to Congress might alter the situation, but only if the evidence is impeccably iron-clad incriminating the incumbent.
Beyond the Presidential Candidate’s Resume
In my past books, I partnered with friend and cohort, Dr. James A. Rodger whose political views are right of mine. Our work is intended to have bipartisan appeal and value. Reflecting on the resume evaluation process, Dr. Rodger contemplated this.
“It occurred to me that a potential model may be in the form of a two by two matrix. The first book (How to Select an American President) provides a ‘probability’ that a candidate will score high on the prescribed criteria and be highly eligible for the office. Perhaps the other factor or variable may be ‘environmental impact.’ For example, the political correctness may have swung too ultra-left. The average American life expectancy had fallen under Obamacare. More people than ever were on food stamps. EPA rules had put union coal workers (traditionally Democrat voting) out of work. Jobs were leaving the US via bad trade agreements. Thus the rust belt rose up and clamored for change. The country has become urban versus rural. Left coast and liberal east coast versus the hinterland.”
There is much to consider from Dr. Rodger’s statement as follows:
1. How to Select an American President was about evaluating resumes to determine eligibility and desirability based on certifiable and verifiable qualifications and credentials.
2. The “How to” book was not intended to predict a winner. It is to help voters postulate excellent candidates based on their possessing essential skill, knowledge, experience, proficiency, and temperament.
3. Whether a candidate wins an election or not has to do with that for which they stand. Therefore, this book is about a presidential candidate’s manifesto.
4. That is where the notion of “environmental impact” comes into play. Citizens might be able to make some cause and effect determinations. They may be able to assess certain performance metrics by looking back at a former pres- ident’s incumbency.
5. Furthermore, politicians and their parties may improve understanding how to craft better messages by conducting a postmortem.
This new book,
A President’s Manifesto © 2019 All Rights Reserved, is about what content should be included in a political party’s platform. What content should be included in a presidential candidate’s manifesto? What is the relationship between manifestos and platforms?
Dr. Rodger introduced the idea of metrics and measures and the relationship between content and relevance to voters. That too must be fully researched. It is most important for voters to keep a focus on improving the process and not to be distracted by ideological noise in the system. The US Constitution is our constant guide. For this effort, I am writing it independently, and solicit guidance from academic friends..
State of the Union
I had an epiphany after writing the first draft of this book. It goes back to an earlier book, Smart Data, Enterprise Performance Optimization Strategy, (c) 2010 Wiley Publishing. In that work, Dr. Rodger and I advocated the creation of a “U.S. President’s Performance Management Dashboard.” The dashboard would provide performance metrics, aggregated from all of the programs and service initiatives under the Departments and Agencies of government such that the President and Congress can see metrics at any level that they desire. It is absurd that the federal government doesn’t have such a thing already, but it doesn’t.
If it did, then the State of the Union would be readily available for all to see at any point in time (in real time). The epiphany part is that the State of the Union report from Presidents is probably not delivered always at the right time.
The U.S. Constitution is casual about it. “The formal basis for the State of the Union Address is from the U.S. Constitution: The President “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” Article II, Section 3, Clause 1.
Historically, it has been an annual message, of a sort. Think about it. A new President arrives in January. Would it not have been useful to have a State
of the Union report from a credible system having been delivered, say in the prior October, before the national election? That way voters can evaluate the past performance and understand the stepping stone to the next administration.
The US Federal government fiscal year is from October to September. The next government could be a continued incumbency for a second term. Or, it could be a new presidency. The dashboard and its metrics would be inherited for the next incumbent to assume control to produce new metrics. Having a standard system and approach would ensure continuity in accountability. That does not mean that the dashboard would not change. In fact, the contents would reflect the actions of the Executive branch and Congress at changing and amending legislation, funding, and schedules. Otherwise, it must be dynamic and accountable for real-time results.
A Presidential Dashboard as envisioned is a management tool for which the results are the U.S. Government Performance that should be available and accessible by Congress and the citizens with some caveats particular to national security. Unlike government audits that are rear-view-mirror-facing, an executive management system must have forward planning and controls, including simulation and predictive performance capabilities. Embracing the idea that the federal government is an automated regulatory environment is a context for systems engineering.
You should know that the author’s style is to share the research and discovery journey that ultimately leads to suggested solutions and actions. Reading party platforms and candidate manifestos as they are today is not reader-friendly. That is part of the problem. Some of the information included are long quotations that could be put into an appendix. Hiding that information would preclude your experience. What makes it difficult? Each party decides priorities and topics that are not reconciled and factually substantiated with citizens’ needs and wants. Much of the contents are philosophical and debatable. The conclusion is that the government remains off course from addressing essential services and requirements that are best expressed as outcomes.
