Summary: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 In the realm of land use, “we” make the laws. But who is that “we” I am talking about? As most of us know, it is our elected officials who make the laws. These elected officials, however, have been given this power only as our “representatives.” That’s the theory, anyway, and if we can turn that theory into practice “we,” all of us, really are able to make the law. We do it through the political process. I recently taught some courses in the Legal Studies Department at the University of California at Santa Cruz, and I told students about what I call the “Fundamental Equation” of government (“Politics” gives us “Law” gives us “Government”): Politics > Law > Government If you’d like to see that diagrammed out, please track down the transcript for today’s Land Use Report at kusp.org/landuse. Out of the controversy and conflict that is the natural realm of politics, we arrive at “decisions.” These decisions are written down as laws, the prescriptions by which we announce what we intend to do. When we follow those prescriptions, our laws, we “govern” our world: “Politics” leads to “Law” leads to “Government.” That “Fundamental Equation” brings me to the title of today’s talk: “Who Cares?” We are all able to participate in the democratic political process that results in the laws that ultimately govern our world. Only those who care enough to get involved themselves will make those laws! More Information: Land Use Links Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
