‘This is a wonderful book that should be on the desk of every architect and planner. It shows how

How was the US Constitution designed to prevent the abuse of power?
The US Constitution largely prevented an imbalance of power from developing by dividing powers 
into government branches. This was to create ‘checks and balances’. First, power was divided vertically 
through state and federal jurisdictions. Second, decision-making power was also divided horizontally 
into legislative, judicial and executive functions. Third, an upper and a lower legislative body were 
created to represent people by both geography and numbers, and to create a ‘house of review’ to check 
legislation. By creating checks and balances, it was intended that one branch of government could 
not become too powerful. In this way, the same individual or agency could not be the lawmaker, 
policeman, judge and executioner – which had been a common complaint about various monarchs.
Among the virtues of this model is that it reminds people in any organization that they are performing 
a role with clear duties and responsibilities, as opposed to running a private club. Nonetheless, large 
resource-allocation decisions have often been made in ‘corporatist’ decision frameworks, which can 
appear to be like private clubs (see below). These legislative, judicial and executive branches were also 
given different functions, venues, personnel, methods of appointment, decision-making processes 
and so on. Their operating principles were designed to align with the different roles and functions 
of these decision spheres.
Why use different decision-making processes in the different branches? 
Different types of issues require suitable types of analyses, forums and processes. Decisions affecting 
the environment occur in all these arenas, of course, and sometimes simultaneously, depending on 
the issue and circumstances:
•
Judicial
processes are designed for deciding cases and controversies 
after
the fact, where
interests are already vested. In theory, both sides are able to advocate their position 
competitively under adversarial procedural rules, so that all relevant issues are raised.
• 
Legislative
processes are designed for resolving conflicts 
before
they occur. They also 
establish policies to guide the future resolution of controversies that keep arising. As

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Constitution for Eco-governance
representatives, politicians are deemed capable of looking after people’s rights, and sorting
out conflicting interests among them.
• 
Executive
processes are designed for implementing policy and are administrative in 
character. They are designed for efficiency and for accessing specialist expertise as required, 
though sometimes executive effectiveness is in conflict with accountability.