But a democratic government is more than the compromising of conflicting interests, important though as it is. Compromise, the art of the possible, is not enough. There are major problems to be solved and great ends to be pursued. Most of our problems are truly common. We all breathe the same air, use the same infrastructures, and are affected one way or another- by the same violence, injustices, inequalities, civic decline, and ecological vulnerability.
Some institutions have a stronger responsibility in promoting the awareness of the common good.
Educational institutions, churches, labor unions, financial and commercial associations, professional organizations, among others, play a key role. Let us teach ourselves and others that politics, economics and government should be a reflection of the aspiration to contribute to the happiness of the community, and not of the need to deceive or pillage the community. Let us teach both ourselves and others that politics does not have to be the art of the possible, especially if this means the art of speculating, calculating, secret agreements, and pragmatic maneuvering, but that it can also be the art of the impossible, that is, the art of making both ourselves and the world better. A mature civil society moves beyond the public s belief that it can influence politics by merely voting every four years. Yes, we can.