THE PROBLEM: FAILURE OF LAWS
The laws of government* may be counted among the most important works of humankind; they are used to address the most significant problems of society and they have a direct effect upon the human rights*, living standards*, and quality of life* of every person. However, in contrast with the successes of other useful products such as computers, antibiotics and cell phones, laws have mostly failed in their purpose, which is to solve societal problems. The result of this failure is that war, financial crises, high rates of crime, poverty, and homelessness, etc., etc., continue to plague people in every region of the Earth despite the expenditure of enormous resources under the authority and direction of the laws of government.
In response to (seemingly recalcitrant) problems that are never solved, legislative assemblies create more laws, which add to the size, cost, and complexity of government but do little or nothing to improve the human condition. The result of this failed process is that the bodies of laws have become so large and complex that it is impossible for anyone to "know the law" and governments* must enforce laws selectively in violation of the rule of law. This increasing chaos of laws is itself a serious societal problem because it threatens the viability of democratic governments*, which are obligated to secure the rights and liberty of their citizens, and contributes to the emergence and growth of authoritarian governments*, whose only obligation is to secure political power, privileges, and wealth for their rulers.
Two questions arise. 1) What is the cause of the failure of laws? 2) What can be done to improve the problem-solving performance of laws and thus ensure the ascendancy of democracy? The answer to the first question is the traditional method of lawmaking*. The answer to the second question is the science of laws*.
*see glossary
Click here for The Traditional Method of Lawmaking.
Click here for The Science of Laws Solution.