Thelma Delgers is African American. Thelma Delgers is female. Thelma Delgers is 29 years old. She has become the leader of USA's newest democratic movement. But Thelma has a past. How will her past haunt her as this cause moves forward?

Welcome to Confessions of a Future Politician.

This is my second novel in my TDG series. Like many writers of serial novels, I have tried to write this story such that it does not depend on reading the first novel Diary of a Future Politician. I believe I have accomplished this goal.

But I still recommend reading Diary first. Yes, you will gain a better understanding of the setting and characters for Confessions. But there is something more important than more easily understanding this second novel. Both novels are based on a concept called Tiered Democratic Governance (TDG).

TDG is a new kind of democracy. There are no political parties or noisy election campaigns. Instead of self promotion and political favors and political advancement, elected representatives are selected because of their good character and competence for governance. And they have a culture of consultation that allows them to reach decisions based on facts and merits and the betterment of their society, not ideology, mandates, or partisanship.

I have been promoting Tiered Democratic Governance for 24 years. I've had at least 1000 internet discussions in this time. My synopsis is that there is an overwhelming belief that a new democracy just cannot be built. Average people have been inculcated that they are powerless. Any political change this big will only come from "someone else", someone with status, influence, and power. Average people will not be part of this process—if this process ever does occur.

Diary shows how average Americans will build their new system of governance. It all starts with an acceptance that American democracy is breaking down and is also irreparable. The next step is the commitment of about 10 hours a month to erect the framework of a new democracy. Early builders need not give up their occupation, family, social life, and hobbies: just some minor changes in their time management. And these early builders need not be the wealthy, the politically connected, or the intelligentsia. In fact, the early builders need neither help nor permission from these groups.

I admit that Diary is not exactly an entertaining read. To build this new system, the early builders are writing local TDG constitutions. So much of this first book is about those first constitutions—and the dialogue around them. Such a civics instruction manual encased in fiction will never find its way to any best seller's list. But the primary goal of Diary is to educate—in a different way than my non-fiction book Tiered Democratic Governance. If Diary readers can see themselves as TDG builders—like the Diary characters with modest educations and ordinary lifestyles--then this book has accomplished its goal.

Confessions is a more entertaining read. While it continues with the story of the early builders from Diary, the constitutions take a much smaller role in this book. So the story moves faster. Readers will see a flawed character slowly maturing from self-absorption to community service. If the entertaining aspect of Confessions keeps readers in the story AND the story inspires them to find those 10 hours a month, then this book has accomplished its goal.
But please don't wait for "someone else" to build this new way. This future democracy is indeed all up to you.


Dave Volek
Inventor
Tiered Democratic Governance
July 2021