How Dysfunctional
Is Your Country?
A Quickie Checklist

Rate each question on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is "not at all dysfunctional" and 10 is "wholly dysfunctional.

___ 1. Do your country’s leaders refuse to admit to mistakes?

___ 2. Do your country’s leaders refuse to take responsibility for the results of their actions, choosing instead to scapegoat?

___ 3. Is cronyism the chief operative mode of your country’s legislative body?

___ 4. Do your country’s leaders, at least publicly, avow belief in the inerrancy of a religion?

___ 5. Does one or more of your country’s leaders divide the world into "good" and "evil"?

___ 6. Does one or more of your country’s leaders express an extreme sense of urgency in solving the world’s problems?

___ 7. Does one or more of your country’s leaders display an almost complete inability to deal tolerantly with those who disagree with them politically, economically, religiously, scientifically, or sexually?

___ 8. In their speeches and public stances, do your country’s leaders preach freedom, equality, and tolerance while their actions uniformly promote oppression, elitism, and intolerance?

___ 9. Do your nation’s leaders preach the rule of law but practice the rule of men?

___ 10. Do your nation’s leaders consistently blame others for your country’s problems?

TOTAL: ______

Interpretation of Score
10-39: Given human imperfection, your country is stable and relatively free of corruption. Vigilance and continued fine-tuning are called for. Example: Canada, 1990.

40-49: A shaky but still operable system of governance is in place. The tattered social contract needs major revision. Example: Great Britain, 1945.

60-79: A dire warning. Things are still fixable, but just barely and only if enough civic-minded citizens work together long and hard to set things right. Example: France, 1970.