tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5862444008740250372.post4638357059697125269..comments2024-02-01T04:37:41.878-05:00Comments on Cap'n Transit Rides Again: The power of consensusCap'n Transithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17057887736728828646noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5862444008740250372.post-86158980872647715822010-07-17T12:23:42.785-04:002010-07-17T12:23:42.785-04:00In Switzerland, one of the reasons transit works i...In Switzerland, one of the reasons transit works is that there's consensus around it. The stable consensus governments ensure a steady stream of funds; this contrasts with the US, where every time a state's partisan control changes, all older plans may become void or unfunded.Alon Levyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12195377309045184452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5862444008740250372.post-59286671938375133092010-07-09T10:30:10.349-04:002010-07-09T10:30:10.349-04:00One tricky part of a discussion about consensus is...One tricky part of a discussion about consensus is that <i>everyone</i> says, "let's form a consensus" and then most often, "around my idea".<br /><br />We can point back to a consensus as an indicator of success, but it is a very open question whether you reach consensus by trying to reach consensus on <i>anything</i> ... it may be that the easiest things to reach consensus have embedded in them big chunks of conventional wisdom, and if the chunks come from conventional wisdom that has outlived its usefulness, are then going to lead to failure down the track.<br /><br />Perhaps the path to consensus by getting a critical mass of people together agreeing on a first priority, and then finding ways to form a coalition with others who have different priorities, in order to get enough clout to get something established that does in fact work, with that success being used to build the consensus.<br /><br />That would be a process with the actions and consequences as <i>part</i> of the process of the consensus building, allowing obsolete conventional wisdoms to be shaken out by experience.BruceMcFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08502035881761277885noreply@blogger.com