I read the Harvard Business Review a lot to keep track of new trends and all of that. Every now and then there is something that gets my attention. The article in the latest edition title the Age of Hyperspecialization presented a new more open model for problem solving and development of new products. Essentially it is to post the details of the problem and invite anyone submit solution. Or to split up the development of a new product into specialized areas (software, mechanics, etc.) and invite the community to design it for you. If the solution or the design is chosen the company buys the intellectual property from them as the prize. This has worked for several companies because they were able to find the best solution without having to hire a specialist permanently (who often times couldn’t solve the issue because of the box the company puts him in). It takes less time, and a lot less money.

Which brings me to congress… The world is much more complicated than it was when the government was set up (which is why I don’t agree with the “originalists” argument that we should interpret the law today and consequently the world in terms of the original intent of the constitution. I’m quite sure the founder didn’t have internet or cellphones or even the concept of morality  (read-slavery) we do today). Our world is so complicated that our lawmakers have decided to stop learning about it so they can formulate appropriate solutions to the issues we face and instead they opt for politics. Most of the time the solutions are dictated by ideology regardless of the facts (which they can’t agree on either).  Frankly, I don’t believe they possess the skills needed to formulate law relevant to today which is why many of the policies are given to them in exchange for campaign contribution or support from some special interest lobby. Their incentive is to get re-elected anyway so it works.

This is a problem because when the economy is in trouble like it is now, lawyers and special interests not economist are formulating policy. When congress decides on NASA’s budget, lawyers and special interests( not scientist and engineers) are formulating policy. When it comes down to improving our education system lawyers and special interests (not educators) are formulating policy. When we have a clear income inequality that keep growing (which is a problem) rich congressmen along with their special interest benefactors formulate policy whichso far has been to protect the wealth of the rich at the expense of the poor.

This current model is a problem for me because the experts or hyperspecialists are not involved in the policy making process. The recent cancellation of the Constellation Program at NASA in my eyes wasn’t a failure of NASA to produce. Our engineers did a miraculous job and anyone knowledgeable about the situation would agree with that. The issue came in when congress designed the architecture of the rockets with the law that they wrote and then decided that they didn’t want to fund what they told NASA to do. So as a consequence the time frame kept getting longer until it was unacceptable to th president and congress. But that’s what happens when lawyers design rockets.

So what I’m proposing is that congress formally opens up the policy making process to the public. When an issue arises Congress comes together and passes a joint resolution with a problem statement,  all the pertinent facts, the goals they want to achieve with the legislation, and some guidelines. This resolution will also serve as an open call for proposals to be submitted through you local congressman or senator. In the committee they down select say 3 of the best issues and bring those to the floor for debate where they submitters come to present the ideas to congress themselves. Congress then chooses the best one or piece parts form the 3, pay the submitters and then make the policy proposals law.

This way the experts can formulate policy. Some genius economist out there has the answers to our country economic issue but is invisible to congress. In the open source congress, that expert that has the solution to all our problems gets a role in shaping policy pertaining to his expertise.  Congress still make the decisions and they are still able to prioritize the resources of the nation but the heavy lifting is done by the people with the muscles.

But on second though we live in a country where people get financial advice from their pastors and history lessons from high school drop out radio jocks so this kind of thinking is more or less wishful thinking.