Political Systems Come and Go.
But the essential needs of people, animals, the soil, ecosystems, and democracy are timeless.
Folklaws are resolutions that protect nature, restrain power, ensure fairness, fight globalization, and put community over corporate profits.
Adapt folklaws for your town or state, and present them to your representatives. One timely resolution would limit the wealth of public servants.
Coming Soon—Folklaw will be available in print format for purchase from IngramSpark. Or download and share the free PDF. (3.2 MB)
LIMIT SCIENTISM
Science is invaluable, but it is also incomplete, and when it is wielded as an ideology rather than a method, it becomes as dogmatic as the belief systems it claims to replace.
Karl Popper (1902-1994), Nr. 104 bust (bronze) in the Arkadenhof of the University of Vienna-2486 by Hubertl (cropped)
NATURE FIRST
Nature is not our servant, nor our possession, but the source of all life. Any civilization that places human intellect, technology, or industry above the natural world will collapse under the weight of its own arrogance.
Design from nature by anyjazz65 (cropped)
PACIFISM
Peace is not the absence of war but the presence of justice, empathy, and cooperation. A society that values life over dominance rejects violence as both policy and practice.
Martin Luther King, Jr. by Fotocollectie Anefo / Dutch National Archives
SIMPLE, EASILY CHANGED LAWS
Laws must not be rigid monuments to past mistakes, but living principles, able to evolve as society does. The longer a bad law stays in place, the more damage it does.
Grundgesetz auf Stein by Tim Reckmann
FINANCIAL REFORM
An economy should serve people, not the other way around. Financial systems must be transparent, equitable, and grounded in the real world—not in speculative bubbles and abstract algorithms.
A microfinance client with his loan book in Lashkar Gah, Helmand by DFID – UK Department for International Development
BAN NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Stockpiling nuclear weapons is like keeping a dragon in the basement and hoping it never wakes up. Their existence endangers humanity and perpetuates a culture of fear. True peace comes from disarmament, not deterrence.
Nuclear test mushroom cloud 1950s by InnoventionAustralia
WEALTH REDISTRIBUTION
Extreme wealth inequality erodes democracy and diminishes human dignity. A just society ensures prosperity is not hoarded but flows where it is needed.
Tax the Rich by dignidadrebelde
LIMIT ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE
Artificial intelligence should enhance human life, not replace or control it. The development of AI must be restrained to protect autonomy, dignity, and the natural balance between human and machine.
Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence by mikemacmarketing (cropped)
RANKED CHOICE VOTING
Ranked choice voting lets voters express their true preferences without fear of wasting their vote. It fosters majority support, reduces polarization, and encourages candidates to appeal to broader constituencies.
Ranked Choice Voting at Bike Happy Hour by BikePortland.org (cropped)
A SIMPLE, PROGRESSIVE TAX CODE
The tax system should be so simple that the average person can handle their own taxes without professional help.
Richard Wolff explaining capitalist planning by The Laura Flanders Show
GUARDRAILS AGAINST DICTATORSHIP
Democracy must be actively defended. Political systems require structural safeguards to prevent the rise of authoritarian rule and the erosion of civil liberties.
Alexey Navalny in 2020 by Michał Siergiejevicz
BAN CORPORATE LOBBYING
Lobbying, in its current form, is legalized bribery—allowing corporations and special interests to buy influence, distort democracy, and ensure that laws serve the wealthiest rather than the public.
Day 7 Occupy Wall Street September 23 2011 by david_shankbone
WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION
Whistleblower protection is essential for transparency and accountability. Safeguarding individuals who expose misconduct ensures that corruption, abuse of power, and systemic failures are brought to light, fostering a culture of integrity within institutions.
Julian Assange August 2014 by David G Silvers
COOLING SHELTERS
Cooling shelters are essential public infrastructure in the age of climate change, providing safe, accessible refuge from extreme heat. They save lives, reduce health risks, and foster community resilience.
Heat Wave by mastermaq
GUN CONTROL
Gun control is essential for public safety. Reasonable regulations on firearm ownership, use, and distribution reduce violence, save lives, and promote a culture of responsibility over fear.
March For Our Lives student protest for gun control by Fibonacci Blue (cropped)
LIMIT FACTORY ANIMAL FARMS
Factory farming poses significant threats to animal welfare, human health, and environmental sustainability. Limiting industrial animal agriculture is essential to reducing ecological damage, improving food systems, and restoring ethical balance in how humans coexist with other species.
Overcrowding of turkeys found during an undercover investigation at a factory farm in North Carolina owned by Butterball by Mercy For Animals
EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP
Employee ownership shifts the power dynamic of the workplace, transforming workers into co-owners with a stake in decisions, profits, and long-term success. By giving employees real control, workplaces are more just, sustainable, and rooted in communities.
Morrison Maierle employee-owners by Pigz63 (cropped)
PERMACULTURE
Permaculture is a system of ecological design that mimics natural patterns to create sustainable food systems, resilient communities, and regenerative landscapes. Rooted in principles of harmony, diversity, and efficiency, it offers an alternative to industrial agriculture and resource depletion.
Bill Mollison by nicolas.boullosa
LOCAL WASTE DISPOSAL
When communities ship their trash across oceans, they not only pollute distant lands but also abdicate their duty to manage their own consumption. Each community is accountable for the waste it produces.
Our fancy fridge with cousins at the local dump by Olga Pavlovsky
FAMILY FARMS
Family farms are essential for food security, environmental sustainability, and rural community resilience. Family farms promote biodiversity, preserve traditional agricultural knowledge, and foster local economies rooted in ecological stewardship.
Family farm by Government of Alberta (cropped)
OPEN GOVERNMENT RECORDS
By ensuring that government documents are open, searchable, and protected from manipulation, societies promote informed citizenship, reduce corruption, and safeguard the integrity of public institutions.
Open Government Partnership Meeting by Evan Abramson
DRUG REHABILITATION
Drug rehabilitation should be centered on compassion, evidence-based practices, and social reintegration.
Drug Rehab Austin by Addiction Resources
PUBLIC HOSPITALS
By providing accessible, high-quality medical care to all, regardless of income or status, public hospitals promote public health, reduce inequalities, and embody the principle that healthcare is a fundamental human right, not a commodity.
Mayo Clinic Rochester Gonda w trees by Nephron
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Affordable transit systems connect communities, reduce private vehicle use, and enhance the quality of urban life.
Tokyo Subway by john.gillespie
THE PERENNIAL PHILOSOPHY
Teaching the Perennial Philosophy fosters an understanding of universal truths shared across spiritual traditions. By integrating this wisdom into education, societies cultivate a sense of the sacred, promote interfaith understanding, and inspire ethical living rooted in timeless principles.
Head of Laozi marble Tang Dynasty (618-906 CE) Shaanxi Province China by Mary Harrsch
FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Education should not be a debt trap. Free community college ensures that every person, regardless of background or income, has access to the skills and knowledge needed to build a stable, fulfilling life.
Baltimore City Community College Graduation by MDGovpics
DIGITAL LIMITATIONS
A society that allows screens to replace thought will soon have no thinkers left.
No Cellphones by robzand
STRONG SCHOOLS
A nation that neglects its schools is a nation that deliberately weakens its own future.
Sign, NC School of Science and Mathematics, Watts-Hillandale, Durham, NC by Warren LeMay from Cullowhee, NC
HEAT PUMPS & EFFICIENCY
Heat pumps and energy efficiency measures reduce energy consumption, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and creating comfortable, cost-effective living environments.
Large heat pump setup by Wikideas1
WIND POWER
Wind power is the silent workhorse of the clean energy revolution, converting air into electricity without smoke, noise, or waste. It is abundant, renewable, and increasingly affordable, a pillar of any serious plan to eliminate fossil fuels.
Wind Farm by Prayitno
END FOSSIL FUEL EXTRACTION
To mitigate climate change, protect ecosystems, and ensure a livable future, societies must rapidly phase out fossil fuel extraction.
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill by ACE6 by ARLIS
ELECTIFY EVERYTHING
Electrifying all sectors—industry, appliances, and beyond—is essential to achieving a sustainable, carbon-free future.
Electric Mower with Shoes by chrstphre
LEGALIZE CANNABIS
Cannabis has been used for medicine, industry, and recreation for thousands of years. The decision to criminalize it was not based on public safety, but on racism, corporate greed, and political opportunism.
Cannabis sativa by M. Martin Vicente (cropped)
THE RIGHT TO DIE
The right to die affirms individual autonomy over life’s most personal decision: when and how to leave it.
A fitting end, the right word by International Journalism Festival (cropped)
DIGITAL PRIVACY
Digital privacy is a fundamental right in the modern age, protecting individuals from surveillance, data exploitation, and the erosion of personal autonomy.
Protection for Snowden by greensefa
DECRIMINALIZE DRUG USE
Decriminalizing drug use shifts the focus from punishment to public health, recognizing addiction as a complex, human issue rather than a criminal one.
Philippines Drug War Protest #2 by VOCAL-NY
A LIVING WAGE
A living wage ensures that full-time work provides not just survival but dignity—covering basic needs like housing, healthcare, and food without forcing people to choose between rent and medicine.
Protesters: Workers deserve a living wage by Meraj Chhaya
PAID VACATION
Paid vacation ensures workers can take time off without financial penalty, recognizing rest as a fundamental human need, not a luxury.
Our kids on vacation by Ronald Douglas Frazier
Origin Story
A PATTERN LANGUAGEWhat would a set of simply-worded, widely-agreed upon set of laws originating from people’s common needs look like?I’ve wondered this for decades, since reading A Pattern Language by […]
United States New Basic Laws
(Therefore statements from Folklaw, in the format of the German Basic Laws) In accordance with the Framework for a New Republic, the United State of America hereby declares these […]
Framework for a New Republic
PREAMBLE We, the inheritors of a great but unfinished experiment, acknowledge the vision of those who came before us. The Founders, in their wisdom and limitations, sought to build a […]
About Folklaw
The Patterns Political systems come and go. But the essential needs of people, animals, the soil, democracy, and ecosystems are are unchanging. Folklaws are resolutions that protect nature, restrain power, […]