Democratic Capitalism VS Capitalistic Democracy

Democratic Capitalism, is an economic system working within a Democratic political system. Russia was Totalitarian Communism, China is Totalitarian Capitalism, and Great Britain and most of Europe were Democratic Socialism. Capitalistic Democracy is a political system with capitalistic undertones.

Democratic Capitalism as Practiced in the United States
Current Approach,
Only Businesses make a profit.

Government

1. Regulators protect society from improper behavior associated with white collar crime with an undisciplined fine system.

2. Federal, state and local parks are for everyone and carry a nominal fee and cost society a lot of money.

3 Civil Courts are to settle disputes and cost society a great deal of money.

4. Citizen rescues by governments are free in most cases and cost society a great deal of money.

5. Prisons are to rehabilitate, not punish, white collar crime is not punished severely, and the system has a tremendous cost to society.  
Example: Mike Millikan cost society $40,000 to  imprison for about 2 years.

6. Treasury and and the Federal Reserve are manned by capitalists who used big money from Wall Street to get their appointments. These people believe Wall Street is the heart of capitalism and protect it, and when finished with their government service, return to wall street.

7. Congress people are  helped with the design of legislation by assistants who get free information from lobbyists.

8. Entitlements follow a defined benefit philosophy. SS, Medicare, Disability  recipients ... 
get a defined lifestyle.

Capitalistic Democracy
Certain Government Departments make a profit and
 would come under the supervision of the Comptroller of the Currency

Government

1. Regulators charge fines that cover all costs plus a reasonable return on invested capital. Example, the IRS and FBI fraud division,  should be profit centers paying all of its cost plus a 10% return on invested capital. Whenever possible, investigations would be contracted with the federal government paying a percentage of the collections.

2. National Parks of all types charge what the traffic will bare and must cover all upkeep cost plus a reasonable return on investment.

3. Civil courts provide a service and should charge enough to cover all costs plus a reasonable return on investment.

4. Citizen rescues due to negligence would be charged all the traffic will bear.

5. Prisons are to keep dangerous people away from society, white collar crime is punished severely, but those convicted must pay their way out based on the ability to pay principle.  A profit must be made based upon a reasonable return on investment. Example: Mike Millikan must pays his way out at 5% of his equity per year, for his10 years sentence.

6. Treasury and the Federal Reserve are manned by equally apportioned bankers, company finance people, academics, and career civil servants.

7. Congress people are  helped with the design of legislation by assistants who get information from a newly created Congressional Information Office similar to the Congressional Budget Office.

8. Some entitlements follow a defined contribution plan where the total contributions from the current contributors determines the benefit received. For example, if people receiving the disability payments goes up 20%, and annual contributions are flat because of recession, benefits go down.

 

e-mail antonw@ix.netcom.com  with comments.

 

Education

1. Primary and secondary education is managed by academics who aim to maximize critical thinking skills for all students. Schools are judged on student success at critical thinking tests. 
Result: Over 20% of our young people do not finish high school. This means we can't give education away. Well over 50% of the high school graduates attend college when only 23% of the jobs require college degrees and another 10% require post-secondary training. Wages for college graduates fall and many college graduates can't compete in the workplace.

2. Education spending is increase continually with the goal of  improve quantitative measures. The school year is from an agrarian society and classes meet 180 days at six hours a day or 1080 hours and have a 10 week break in the summer and about four week vacation. 
Result
: The U.S. spends more per head than other industrial countries.

3. College acceptance is for everyone and an attempt is made to minimize individual cost. 
Result
: U.S. has a lot of poorly educated college graduates in academic areas not in high demand causing salaries of college graduates to dropping, and many college graduates over the past twenty years have had to work in jobs not requiring a four-year degree. Twenty-five percent of the students drop out, some, because they realize they have better things to do with their lives, but the vast majority are in that group that do not carry their own weight weight.

Education

1. Primary and secondary education is managed by educators based upon a normal distribution of abilities described by Multiple Intelligence Theory . The aim of education will be to determine which kind of intelligence a student excels at and to enhance that intelligence. Schools are judged by the percentage of students who finish high school and the percentage of students with high math and/or verbal intelligence who are accepted at academically rigorous competitive colleges.
Results: Curriculums will become more diversified, less structured, and with students able to enhance there own particular intelligence, life success will be improved. 
2. Education systems are designed to be cost affective with additional salary based on output. The economic concept of diminishing returns and diminishing marginal diminishing utility is applied resulting in four hours of classes, and a forty-eight weeks school year. (48X5X4 =960 hours. All schools go to double sessions. Triple sessions would be appropriate if desired by students and parents. 
Results
: Poor schools are closed. Teachers work one session and get paid for additional classes. Teachers wanting to accumulate classes to take extended leave could do so. Students wanting more classes would pay extra, students wanting to work in day care for younger children can do so in class rooms available because of efficient use of classrooms. Who gets what sessions would be based on parent needs and student grades.
3. Colleges acceptance will be based upon the measurement and differentiation principles displayed by the companies portrayed in  The Talent Masters by by B Conaty and R. Charan. Only highly talented, productive individuals will receive federal government support. States and local governments can set parameters for those they want to help.
Vocational schools would prosper, live skills would be stressed and working part time would be stressed. A lower minimum wage for part time students not requiring payroll taxes would help.

e-mail Walter Antoniotti with thoughts and opinions.