BRANCH 4: Office of Future Generations
Long-Term Ecological Planning and Seven Generations Thinking
New Branch: Represents future people and ecosystems in governance
Leadership: Guardians serving 10-year terms, cannot be removed by short-term political pressure
Integrated "Power to the People" Policies:
A. Agency Independence (Environmental Protection)
Care Principle: EPA shouldn't be controlled by politicians funded by polluters
Policies:
- EPA has protected independence (already covered in Branch 1)
- Office of Future Generations oversees EPA (not Council of Stewardship)
- EPA Administrator serves 10-year term (not 4 years tied to political cycles)
- EPA budget protected from annual appropriations battles
- EPA can prosecute polluters without political interference
B. Long-Term Democratic Accountability
How Future Generations Office Interacts with Democracy:
- Approves all long-term legislation (anything affecting outcomes beyond 20 years)
- Conducts Seven Generations Impact Assessments (required for all infrastructure, environmental, economic policy)
- Can veto legislation that harms future people or ecosystems (requires supermajority to override)
- Reports directly to Chamber of Generations (Legislative Assembly) and public
This prevents:
- Short-term political cycles sacrificing long-term well-being
- Fossil fuel subsidies that profit today's billionaires, destroy tomorrow's climate
- Infrastructure decisions that ignore 100-year consequences