E Pluribus
A comprehensive blueprint for 21st-century democracy. Ten chapters exploring why current systems fail, how technology can enable true self-governance, and a practical roadmap from today to a better future.
The Big Idea
Today
You elect politicians. They make decisions. You hope they listen. They often don't. You wait 2-4 years to try again.
With E Pluribus
You make the decisions. Officials carry them out. If they don't, you replace them. If the system fails, you fork it and start over.
Officials become civil servants in the truest sense—they execute your will. They're project managers, not rulers. The people who pay the price make the decisions.
Democracy Is Failing
Congressional approval sits below 20%. Trust in government has collapsed from 73% in 1958 to 20% today. Policies with 80%+ public support—background checks, drug price negotiation, paid leave—remain blocked for decades.
The system isn't broken. It's working exactly as designed—just not for you.
Money in politics. Revolving-door lobbying. Regulatory capture. Electoral structures that create minority rule. Representatives who represent donors, not constituents. A majority of young people now doubt democracy can solve problems at all.
We're at an inflection point.
The next 10-20 years will determine which path we take: authoritarian "efficiency" (surveillance states, top-down control), institutional collapse and chaos, or democratic renewal.
What E Pluribus Is
E Pluribus is democratic participation infrastructure—like roads for transportation or the electrical grid for power, but for governance.
It enables:
- Direct participation: Propose and vote on policies directly, not just for representatives
- Liquid delegation: Delegate your vote by topic to trusted experts—revocable anytime
- Collaborative policy: Fork, improve, and merge proposals like code on GitHub
- Cryptographic verification: Prove your vote was counted correctly while maintaining privacy
- Fork rights: Open source means no one can hold the platform hostage—not even us
This isn't theory. Taiwan's vTaiwan has 10 years of success with 80% legislation adoption. Switzerland has 175 years of direct democracy. Estonia has 20 years of secure e-governance with zero successful attacks. Participatory budgeting runs in 11,000+ cities worldwide.
One person, one vote. Equal voice. Equal power. For the first time in history, we have the tools to actually deliver on democracy's promise.
A Journey, Not a Revolution
E Pluribus works alongside existing systems. You don't replace democracy overnight. You pilot. You prove. You scale.
Advisory
Citizens vote on issues. Results inform representatives. Build trust while keeping existing structures.
Hybrid
Some decisions binding, others advisory. Gradually expand citizen authority as systems mature.
Full
Citizens govern directly. Officials become implementers. The endgame—when communities are ready.
Works at any scale:
Political parties • Unions • Co-ops • HOAs • Neighborhoods • Cities • States • Nations
A party could let members shape policy. A city could run participatory budgeting. A state could hold advisory referenda. The infrastructure is the same—the adoption path is yours.
Table of Contents
Ten chapters. 100,000 words. From crisis to vision to implementation.
The Crisis of Democracy
Why current systems are failing
A New Vision for Governance
Core principles and liquid democracy
How Proposals Work
GitHub for democracy
Voting, Delegation, and Thresholds
The mechanics of participation
Real-World Examples
Taiwan, Switzerland, Estonia, and more
Use Cases
Democracy for every scale
The Roadmap
From here to there
Objections and Responses
Steel-manning the opposition
The Technology
How it actually works
Conclusion
The choice ahead
Plus appendices on the Guardians Council, Getting Involved, Governance Transition, Opposition Strategy, and a comprehensive Glossary.
Choose Your Path
Not everyone reads cover-to-cover. Here are guided paths based on what you need.
Quick Path
Get the core idea
Introduction + Ch. 2Skeptic's Path
For doubters
Ch. 1, 5, 8Technical Path
For builders
Ch. 2, 3, 4, 9Organizer's Path
For advocates
Ch. 1, 2, 6, 7Full Book Coming Soon
The complete E Pluribus manuscript is in final review. Get notified when it's ready.