Diverse group of citizens participating in democratic governance

The Science of Governance

Strategies for the 21st Century

Nonpartisan, evidence-based frameworks and toolkits—drawn from global best practices. Free for citizens and civic leaders.

📚

Research Library

Explore curated collections of political philosophy and governance. Recommended books from opposing perspectives on human rights, power, and liberty.

Browse Books →
🔬

Best Practices

Evidence-based frameworks from business applied to governance. What works? What doesn't? How do we know?

Explore Frameworks →

Why Governance Failures Are System Design Failures

Most governance debates focus on individual bad actors. But what if the real problem is how we design the systems themselves? Drawing from 29 years of industrial management experience, here's how Six Sigma principles apply to democratic governance.

By James Walton
From Chaos to Compact book cover - The Emergence of Governance From the State of Nature by James Walton
From Chaos to Compact
MARCH 2026

From Chaos to Compact

The Emergence of Governance From the State of Nature

A decade of research synthesizing political philosophy from ancient Greece to America's Founders. How did humans move from the state of nature to organized governance? What principles emerged? What can we learn?

By James Walton

Available March 2026

🎤

Trammels Live: Launch Event

📅
Date
Spring 2026
(Exact date TBD)
📍
Location
Midwest
(TBD)
🎯
Topic
The Science of Governance
From Theory to Practice

Join us for the official launch of Trammels and connect with fellow civic engagement advocates.