The Seasteading Institute

Why not reform existing political systems?

It is extremely difficult and costly to significantly impact political outcomes. Brand new political systems are generally the result of violent revolutions or coups, which are undesirable for obvious reasons. Alternatively, we are employing peaceful methods of creating new structures of governance, and are making it easier to test out new socio-economic systems by enabling people to “vote with their boats.”

We believe that greater competition among seastead-based governments will actually serve to reform existing political systems over time. Competition from new nations will incentivize old nations to adapt and evolve—or lose out to these new nations. Also, our ecosystem of experimental societies will provide new data about better (or worse) ways to organize a society. Right now, government is like a company with no R&D department and very little competition. Seasteads will be the world’s first political R&D department—a kind of incubator for governments.

Posted in: Vision, Mission, and Goals