We the People [Anglais] [Broché]

"We the People" describes a new method of governance that creates more inclusive and efficient organizations. The United States Declaration of Independence asserted that all human beings are created equally and endowed by society with the unquestionable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In practice, however, these rights are often limited to the majority, the rich, or the property owners. Sociocracy ensures these rights to everyone and in the process makes profit-making businesses more profitable and non-profit organizations more effective. Using consent and collaboration as a foundation for decision-making and communications, it builds a strong governance structure that extends from the mailroom to the boardroom and from the client to the sponsors.

The Discoveries of Science

Our understanding of how the world works was fundamentally altered when cybernetics, systems thinking, and complexity theory replaced the mechanical model of closed systems. Sociocracy applies these new scientific theories to make our organizations as powerful, self-organizing, and self-correcting as the natural world.

Is It Practical?

Sociocracy is not only practical; it is easy and effective. In the Netherlands, sociocracy is replacing legally required worker councils because it is less adversarial and provides better protection for workers' rights. In professional organizations, like the United States Green Building Council, it provides egalitarian as well as efficient governance. The European divisions of Shell, Heineken, Mars, and Pfizer use sociocracy because it is simply more productive.

This is the first book on sociocracy by native English speaking authors and the first to place sociocracy in the context of the historical development of governance and management theory. While it presents the theoretical foundations and history of sociocratic principles and methods, it also contains extensive "how to" information.

John Buck was the first native English-speaking consultant certified by the Sociocratisch Centrum in Rotterdam to teach and guide implementation of the sociocratic circle-organization method. After he learned to read Dutch to gain full access to the literature and to study at the Sociocratisch Centrum, Buck has helped translate a number of key documents from the Dutch. With a BA from Brown University, he later completed an MA in Quantitative Sociology at George Washington University in order to measure the effects of sociocracy on Dutch workers. His thesis confirmed the effectiveness of the sociocratic method in increasing worker commitment to their companies. Now CEO of Governance Alive, a consulting firm that specializes in new governance methods, Buck has extensive experience managing people in both government and corporate sectors. He runs workshops, consults, and serves on the boards of sociocratic organizations. He lives with his wife in Silver Spring, MD.

Sharon Villines, MFA, is a writer and artist and Mentor Emeritus at Empire State College, SUNY, where she mentored adult students in the arts, including arts management. She now writes on a variety of topics related to community organization and governance, using her experience in nonprofit organizations, labor unions, universities, schools, religious and political action groups, cohousing, and other cooperative enterprises as a basis for helping others apply sociocratic principles and methods. She lives in a cohousing community in Washington, DC.