The Concept of Government as a Living Thing

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The concept of government being accountable to Darwin rather than Newton illustrates the idea that government, like living organisms, evolves and adapts to its environment and circumstances. This contrasts with the precision and unchanging nature of Newtonian physics, where laws are immutable and have always existed. Understanding this distinction helps explain how governments evolve and why people may misunderstand how they operate.

Woodrow Wilson was the only president with a Ph.D. in political science.

He came to office having thought more about how a government functions than most before him or since.

One of his complaints was that too many people in government held the belief that it was a Big Machine: that once you set up a series of rules you could take your hands off the wheel and let the government run on its own forever. They viewed government like physics, with a set of customs and laws that required no updating or second-guessing because they were believed to be precise and perfect as they were.

Wilson thought that was wrong. He viewed government as being a living thing that adapted and evolved.

I really don't care about politics. But he had a theory that I think is so important, and so applicable, to us ordinary people managing our money.