Many years ago, I graduated with a degree in political science from Portland State University. Through a long and winding journey working in high tech for companies in Silicon Valley, Seattle, Atlanta, Dublin and Boston, I ultimately moved into the role of being a full time futurist. One of the unexpected things I discovered along the way was how much a futurist studies history.
History has taught me that government policies, laws and regulations often play an important role in creating better conditions for humans to thrive. We see it revealed throughout history, and I expect we will see it in the future as well.
For most of human history, our standard of living and quality of life was terrible. Century after century it didn't improve. Fifty percent of children died before age five, and the average person was not likely to live beyond 30 years of age. This pattern continued for thousands of years.