Building Armenia´s Fourth Republic

The state can build an administration. Only citizens can build self-government.
When kings fell and foreign powers ruled the land, the Armenian village survived. It kept alive the language, culture and communal life. The village is the unnamed hero of Armenia´s history.
Armenia is now building its Fourth Republic. This book argues that the foundation of its success is neither a new municipal map nor a reform of the state´s highest institutions. The foundation is Citizen Capital, people´s collective capacity to shape their own future and develop their communities.
In thirty years, Armenia has built local government. It has not yet built strong local self-government. This book shows why, and how the change can be made. It begins with the conception of the human being and shared values. From there it moves from norm-based steering to steering by outcomes, from pilot municipalities to the whole country, and from administration to a polis of citizens.
The author draws on both the successes and the mistakes of Finland´s municipal reforms. He also shows how artificial intelligence can give a small village expertise that once required a large administrative machine. Artificial intelligence is the riverbed, not the water.