The Technidigm-2000 model can be beneficially applied in almost every conceivable situation. Thus, there are thousands of topics one might decide to use to demonstrate Technidigm-2000 applications. To establish some order among all the possible topics, it is convenient to select a few broad topical areas that are familiar and important to everyone. These areas are the U.S. Constitution, the political arena, and government.

The three areas of Constitution, politics, and government are also so interrelated that it is often a challenge to keep them separate. One of the benefits of viewing issues in terms of the Technidigm-2000 12 elements is that we can more readily meet this challenge. If we can simply separate our Constitution from politics and politics from government, many of our more popular debate topics can be addressed more honestly and with more common sense. If we can teach these skills to our children, they will be better prepared for their future.

As systematic and effective as Technidigm-2000 is, perhaps its greatest defect is that it is not limited to a particular topical area. If it were limited topically, we could write one book and be done with it. We could teach it one time and never have to do any retraining. But even as one of the 12 Technidigm-2000 elements is time, the results of an analysis can change over time. Thus, the best we can do is decide how to apply the process. We can only describe "current answers" to issues, answers that may apply as a "best fit" today but which may change with time.

To organize the Technidigm-2000 education and training universe, it is convenient to start with these government-related topics since they are what might be called "universal educational applications." Thus, constitutional government is an example of a Technidigm-2000 universal application. It was the core concern addressed by Thomas Paine in Common Sense, and it lays a reasonably firm foundation from which most issues can be viewed, even though this view has changed over the last two centuries.

Moreover, the United States Constitution originally established a specific governmental paradigm based on historical feedback from many centuries of experiments in government. The unique Constitution describes and codifies the key constraints of a special but less-unique entity that we call government. The government is less unique than the Constitution primarily because, as Thomas Paine pointed out, all government is basically evil. Some governments are less evil than others, but we would all be better off if we could get along without any societal supervision.

One reason that government is evil is that politics are often involved. Even the word politics implies polarization. Technidigm-2000 recognizes politics as likely to be off-the-level, so one way of looking at the "big three" topics is that politics degrade the government intended by the Constitution down to the level of government that we have to tolerate, evil of not. We must suffer under the usual polarized political paradigms found in most democracies. It is up to us to decide how much bad government we can tolerate. Technidigm-2000 helps us decide and helps us to make reasoned changes where needed.

Links to the short discussion on many social issues and other applications of the Constitution, politics, and government make it easy for you to select a topic of interest to you. To start the process for each topic, I have provided some basic, level one thoughts. In each case, I attempt to orient the reader to thinking of the topic from the Technidigm-2000 perspective.

In terms of Technidigm-2000, the Constitution focuses on principles and objectives; government provides the structural systems within which Constitutional principles and objectives are applied; and politics provide the communications environment within which the government operates (or does not operate). Similar discussions apply to each subtopic and issue. Technidigm-2000 provides a consistent approach to integrating, understanding, and improving these broad areas as well as a great many of their underlying topical areas.

Again, Technidigm-2000 can be applied to almost any topic. The examples provided here involve the Constitution, government, and politics. They are only that -- examples. There is no intent to arbitrate or impose my opinion on any topic. The intent is to express an opinion, but an opinion that is on-the-level. You may or may not agree with the level one Technidigm-2000 discussion provided on a given topic, but you can use the discussion to sharpen your understanding of how the 12 Technidigm-2000 elements can be applied to topics that are of interest to you. You can even write your own book on those topics, if you have the energy.

One additional comment is in order with regard to applying Technidigm-2000: "knowing" is not the same as "applying." We can be blessed with an abundant amount of common sense, but it is useless unless it is applied frequently and consistently. Likewise, there is no point in developing our common sense skills unless we intend to apply them. Regardless of the sub-topic or application, Technidigm-2000 reinforces or clarifies our notions of common sense, a powerful tool in most effective deliberations.

Technidigm-2000 is, in its simplest definition, "Common Sense, Technically Speaking." In contrast to relatively complicated engineering design principles, there are many social system principles that are easily recognized as common sense principles. Nevertheless, even with our inherent ability to distinguish between social common sense and nonsense, we are constantly being influenced by social nonsense.

For example, in courses on communications, high school students learn about advertising strategies, such as including pretty faces in automobile advertisements and associating cowboy ruggedness and independence with smoking cigarettes. Common sense tells us that this is nonsense, but human emotions are difficult to ignore. Teaching basic common sense concepts to high school students is a good start, but more can be done.

Technidigm-2000 makes it possible for teachers to do more for high school students. While it promotes common sense, it also promotes integrity and logical thinking that applicable to modern society. Technidigm-2000 does not require one to ignore emotions, but it does suggest that things such as emotion-based advertising can be considered to be off-the-level. As with anything that is off-the-level, emotion-based advertising should be discouraged by making it a litmus test.

As suggested by enlightened high school teachers, the consumer response or feedback for emotional advertising should be caution and, perhaps, should result in a drop in sales rather than an increase. A key benefit of Technidigm-2000 is that it helps to filter out emotional nonsense; yet it does not require us to apply our new level of understanding -- it only enables us. Chances are that, even with the nonsense exposed, the emotional impact of the nonsense will still prevail in terms of what we actually do about off-the-level advertising. Having common sense is not the same as having the conviction and motivation to apply that common sense!

If all we had to worry about were emotion-based advertising, it would not be worth developing tools such as Technidigm-2000. The need for such a tool is far more profound and sometimes even more evident in the arenas of government and politics. Thus, many popular Technidigm-2000 applications involve these subjects. For example, the voter feedback for off-the-level politics and government operations should be in the form of a litmus test - one time and you are out.

Under such a strict criterion, many people believe that most current politicians would be out. It is important for high school students and new voters to prepare to make wise decisions at election time. With the insights of Technidigm-2000 at their disposal, every student and voter can readily understand and challenge a politician's positions on issues from 12 different perspectives.

However, until we have a few more on-the-level political candidates on the ballots, we are forced to continue to select the least of the political evils presented to us. Even with better candidates on the ballots, the practical psychological realities of modern politics tell us that elections will continue to be popularity contests for the foreseeable future. Thus, to the extent that Technidigm-2000 applies to politics, this new paradigm must be viewed as a long-term educational process.

Until the voters make it happen, integrity will not be required of political candidates. Properly understood and applied, Technidigm-2000 facilitates the elevation of integrity in all matters, even in politics. There just happens to be an obvious need for it in modern politics and, consequently, in modern governments. It is my contention that high school and college students are the most likely participants in a future grassroots movement to change politics. They are the most idealistic and optimistic among us, and it is in their best interests to seek political and governmental excellence. Thus, I use these government-related topics both to mimic Thomas Paine and to encourage good citizenship.

Political and government problems were anticipated by the Founding Fathers in the U. S. Constitution. These problems are not new; they just reflect the modern condition. To deal with these problems systematically, the "Applications" presented within this Internet site are divided into these three closely related categories: U. S. Constitution, politics, and government.

The final related application addresses going forward from the current political situation. In each of the four categories, Technidigm-2000 provides new insights that each of us should not only try to understand but, also, apply. Other applications of Technidigm-2000 may also be addressed in the listings, indicating the broad range of topics that fall within the scope government-related issues. Again, keep in mind that the discussions are level one, providing food for thought and, thus, a place to start.

High school and other teachers can become Technidigm-2000 mentors (see links at bottom of pages), teaching the 12 elements and using the examples provided here as the basis for seminar sessions and essays. If each student simply wrote one paragraph for each of the 12 Technidigm-2000 elements as the elements apply to a single topic, the result would be a pretty good essay!