CorporateNature No 140
1. NEW YORK CITY AND THE “BROKEN WINDOWS” APPROACH
When crime rates in New York City skyrocketed in the 1980s and early 1990s, the local government launched a law enforcement campaign based on the “broken windows” theory. The idea is simple: when you reduce low-level offences such as graffiti, vandalism, loitering, and general public disorder, this creates the perception of a better urban environment, which in turn deters more serious crime. By the late 1990s, violent crime in New York City had dropped by a staggering 56%, compared to a drop of 28% in the US as a whole.
While there is no hard data on the size of the impact of the “broken windows” policy and although other factors such as economic growth played a key role in crime reduction, it seems that improved quality of life for New Yorkers translated into a more orderly society.
2. DEMOCRACIES AND WHAT MAKES THEM TICK
For a modern democratic country to function properly, it needs to implement fundamental principles such as rule of law, freedom of expression, pluralism, freedom of participation in the electoral process, etc. It takes time, effort and multiple iterations to set up such complex cultural and institutional constructs. Once we get them (somewhat) right, we must strive to keep them in good working order. Running a democracy is a continuous process which involves maintaining the overall structure and adjusting to the current times.
Analogous to the New York example, if we live in a democratic environment of sub-par quality, the cracks in the system would make true democracy difficult to maintain.
3. CITIES AND DEMOCRACIES REQUIRE "CAR MAINTENANCE"
Big cities and modern democracies are complex social machines. Your car is a less complicated machine, but its need for maintenance is not all that different.
A brand-new car is like the conceptual idea of a democracy that exists in theory: they are both in perfect working condition. However, as time passes and the car gets driven, it picks up small dents, it gets exposed to the elements, and its mechanisms start to deteriorate. Soon these minor issues add up and if there is no regular maintenance, it gets to a point where the car becomes a road safety concern.
Wouldn't it be better if we took care of the minor issues promptly, rather than wait for them to stack up and overwhelm the system?
Manhattan skyline (image source: Wikipedia)
