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.