Simultaneous Policy

Simultaneous policy requires governments in all jurisdictions at once, worldwide, to implement a policy shift at once, so that none is disadvantaged or unfairly advantaged.

The principle, and the International Simultaneous Policy Organization, or ISPO, which was created to promote it, was initiated by John M. F. D. Bunzl. The idea of the need for simultaneity of sovereign state action is not itself a new idea - it is the basis of treaty and United Nations initiatives that nothing can be done on certain problems, such as disarmament, until all major players agree to a common timetable of implementing solutions.

However, according to the process offered by ISPO, what appears to be new is that citizens who "adopt" the Simultaneous Policy (Simpol) take the formulation of global policy into their own hands. Furthermore, according to ISPO, their adoption of Simpol represents their pledge to vote in future elections, not for a particular politician or political party, but for ANY politician or party - within reason - that pledges to implement Simpol's package of policies alongside other governments. With more and more parliamentary seats and even entire elections increasingly being won or lost on very small margins, a relatively small number of Simpol adopters have the opportunity, ISPO claims, to make it in the strong interests of all politicians and parties to pledge to implement Simpol's policy package while also making it potentially disastrous for them if they fail to do so. As such, ISPO claims that civil society, through its adoption of Simpol, can for the first time lead governments, rather than governments leading the people.

The International Labour Organization and GlobalGreens both recommend certain simultaneous policy initiatives, and closer coordination of their members in many nations. Such cooperation is seen as a way to work within a competitive global market economy without disadvantaging the most 'progressive' players who strongly protect ecology and the worker.

Simultaneous initiatives are seen as a way to avoid Prisoner's dilemma type problems, wherein there is a strong reward for defecting, and a risk for going along with a proposed plan if there is even one defector.

Another example problem of this nature is agricultural subsidies to domestic farmers. A nation abolishing such subsidies stands to lose much of its family farm infrastructure to cheap imports unless a simultaneous initiative in another country, or in tax, tariff and trade to make up for lost subsidies, takes place. As this example suggests, the policies that are put in place simultaneously may be more complex than initially realized, and may require the cooperation of multiple branches or levels of government within one country, in addition to global cooperation.