Solving Crises in Capitalism and Democracy

Democratic capitalism is beset with many problems producing rising inequality and growing authoritarianism. Examples include homelessness, food insecurity, child poverty, mass killings, and rising antisemitism. These problems encourage the election of authoritarian leaders. This book describes a practical approach to finding solutions to these problems with a new way to coordinate social action, systematic coordinated inter-organizational networks or SCIONs. SCIONs avoid the problems of market and state coordination that have failed to handle these crises.

To illustrate this new approach to creating social change this book describes four SCIONs that would:

Increase the amount and radicalness of product or service innovation. Create a more diverse skilled labor force. Reduce the spiral in the cost of health and welfare programs. Restore the balance between law and freedom in community safety.

These objectives will reduce inequality and the movement towards authoritarianism. They are also mechanisms for rebuilding trust and social capital, critical foundations of democracy.

As a new mode of coordination, SCIONs provide a platform for continued dialogue among diverse viewpoints, decentralize problem solving, and stimulate considerable organizational adaptiveness.

This macro sociological theory offers policy guidelines that might lead to future jobs for sociologists, provide tools to overcome managerial satisficing, and speed responses to change. A detailed case study is provided with a discussion of the feasibility of creating SCIONs, and whether or not elites will resist this new coordination mode.

Given the broad range of topics, this book is relevant for many courses in the social sciences, those interested in policy and social change, as well as the general public.