So, what is(are) the problem(s) with our form of government?

I think the base problem is human nature, with its overarching intrinsic greed, pride, and lust for power. Many, too many, bask in wealth and self-aggrandizement. Look at Congress. They vote themselves raises. They can legally insider-trade and are in a unique position to do so. They discipline themselves. They have benefits like no other. They are wined and dinned, lead extravagant lifestyles, and can travel all over going first class on our dime. Voting for them is a balancing act: Should I vote the right way or the way that might facilitate my re-election or make me some money or at least minimize alienating voters? I know most things are a compromise, but really?

An example is the recent 1.2 to 4-5 trillion dollar “infrastructure package” where 13 Republicans voted with the Democrats. It is replete with extravagant financing for leftist goals for which the cost will fall on the shoulders of the proletariat -- as is always the case. (Note* Real property is the ultimate collateral for all debt: our land, house(s), etc.)

(Don’t get me wrong; my motto has long been that one party stinks, and the other one don’t smell so good. But I must capitulate: The democrats are the champions of buying or bribing voters.)

I don’t know that I have the solutions, but I have some ideas.

1) staggered term limits

2) Senators’ and Representatives’ salaries and benefits decided by popular vote -- I feel that, ideally, they should volunteer.

3) keep their promises like making bills available to the public long before voting

Right now, others don’t come to mind, but I’m sure there are plenty.

What are yours?

I almost forgot; boy! do they lie, embellish or redirect!

 

A question for you...do you find 'buying' voters more repugnant that outright lying to get elected?

 

Our infrastructure is in deplorable condition and desperately in need of updating and modernization the problem is will the money allocated REALLY be spent in doing this, or will it instead be squandered on graft and personal enrichments to those with access to the funds???

 

do you think buying votes and lying are mutually exclusive tactics?

 

I like staggered term limits. House Representatives should be limited to 7 or 8 terms, Senators to three terms, and Federal Appeals judges and Supreme Court justices to 20 years or so. (This might require superior retirement benefits, but that would be a small price to pay for the public benefit.) Congressional salary changes ought to apply in the following session (or two??); public approval is not practical. I also think all bills should be publicly posted for 30 to 60 days without alteration before being passed. Something that limits bills to 1000 pages would be nice but maybe impossible.

There should be an amendment that allows a super majority of state legislatures, with some limits and restrictions, to overturn Supreme Court judgements. Another should repeal the 17th amendment regarding the election of Senators. Another is a way for state legislatures to overturn federal legislation.

 

Somewhat reminiscent of Obama's, "Hmmmmmm. Seems the shovel ready jobs were not so shovel ready."

 

1. The Senate.

Democrats have a Senate problem, and not just in the sense that Republicans currently hold the majority or that the prospect of that changing in 2020 is relatively slim. The problem is that the odds of ever changing it are slimmer than is generally realized.

Data for Progress, a progressive think tank and advocacy organization, is trying to raise alarm bells about the issue. In a new memo, co-founder Colin McAuliffe writes that “the Senate is an irredeemable institution” that’s biased 3 percentage points in the GOP’s favor and systematically underweights the interests of nonwhite Americans.

Of course, the fact that the Senate gives extra weight to the interests of people who live in low-population states is not news. That’s an undemocratic, inegalitarian principle that was deliberately baked into the Senate from its inception. What’s new is that changes in American life have made its disproportionality more consequential.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/12/17/21011079/senate-bias-2020-data-for-progress

2. The Electoral college.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Heading into the 2020 presidential election, three in five Americans favor amending the U.S. Constitution to replace the Electoral College with a popular vote system, marking a six-percentage point uptick since April 2019. This preference for electing the president based on who receives the most votes nationwide is driven by 89% of Democrats and 68% of independents. Far fewer Republicans, 23%, share this view, as 77% of them support keeping the current system in which the candidate with the most votes in the Electoral College wins the election.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/320744/americans-support-abolishing-electoral-college.aspx

3. Gerrymandering. Which would be against the law if Repubs were not blocking voting legislation proposed by Dems to eliminate it.

4. The filibuster. It's nothing less than the tyranny of the minority.

 

Thanks for the thought-provoking ideas. But 7 o8 terms? I was thinking of 1 term for each house.

 

The problem is that dumb people get to vote too.

 

I'm open for discussion, but a single term is not advisable and too disruptive. The president gets at least two four-year terms.

 

If we come to a workable, advantageous consensus, who is going to order the changes, you or me? I prefer you do it as I hate using my power!

 

My supposition is that all, except the posting of proposed bills, require a constitutional amendment. Though kicking the ideas around is a start.

 

Our form of government is fine. The problem is some of the buffoons we elect to office. Stupid lying pedo Xoe,
AOC, Omar, Kommie Harris (it’s there anyone in America who actually likes her) Maxine “mad max” Waters, Rashida, Jimmie Carter , LBJ. Just to name a few of the very worst.

 

Dumb is very subjective. There are many who may think of you - or me - that way. I'm certain that there are members of PF who think me too dumb to vote. Tread carefully, or no one will be voting!

 

Nope, not necessarily.

 

Money has been allocated for this purpose for generations. If they didn't do it then, why would they do it now?

 

You forgot to add your own apathy.

And you most apathetically turned a blind eye and went about your business.

All of your solutions are lame and worse than that, not solutions at all because they fail to address the underlying problem which is money and the money has allowed two political parties to rule to the detriment of all.

Any person supporting term limits is effectively saying two things: 1) democracy is a failure and 2) I don't wanna take responsibility.

Proposed 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Section 1

No person or entity shall contribute money, or goods, services, tangible property or intangible property in lieu of money, to a political candidate, or to the political campaign of a ballot initiative, who is not a natural born or naturalized United States citizen, and who is not legally domiciled and eligible to vote within the geographical area that an elected official serves or represents, or in which a ballot initiative may be operative.

The short answer is: If you cannot legally vote for a candidate, then you cannot contribute to that candidate's campaign.

Section 2

Political parties shall not transfer or distribute campaign funds or monies raised, donated or accumulated within a State to another State or to the several States.

If you didn't already know, if Senator Sucks of Michigan is leading in the polls, his party will take campaign funds earmarked for him and give them to Senator Loser in California who is getting hammered in the polls in order to shore up Senator Loser's campaign.

Section 3

Any person who knowingly or willfully accepts money, goods, services, tangible property or intangible property for purposes of circumventing Section 1 of this Amendment shall be imprisoned for not less than 1 year and fined not less than 300 percent of the amount of money, or goods, services, tangible property, or intangible property, contributed to the political candidate or the political campaign of a ballot initiative.

Any natural person who knowingly or willfully commits a violation of this Amendment shall be imprisoned for not less than 5 years and fined not less than 300 percent of the amount of money, or goods, services, tangible property, or intangible property, contributed to the political candidate or the political campaign of a ballot initiative.

Any non-natural person or entity who knowingly or willfully commits a violation of this Amendment shall be placed in receivership for a term of not less than 7 years, and not more than 10 years, and fined not less than 500 percent of the amount of money, or goods, services, tangible property, or intangible property, contributed to the political candidate or the political campaign of a ballot initiative. The United States Bankruptcy Court having jurisdiction over the non-natural person or entity shall appoint a receiver to act as trustee

Clause 3 is effectively the "corporate death penalty" because once the court appointed receiver takes control of the company, it's stocks will plummet to $0.03/share and if it isn't a corporation, it would find any new investors.

Section 4

The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. Section 5 This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date its submission.

Section 5

This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date its submission.

Since Congress will never approve this, and since 34 of the State legislatures won't approve it, and the reason they won't is because they'll no longer be able to enrich themselves and their families and friends and friends of friends at your expense and in the very next election they'll get their asses kicked by a hoard of newcomer challengers.

You no longer need $1 Million to run for mayor or a seat on the council of your city.

All you need $500 or less to set up a website and hook into PayPal and your bank to collect donations.

It would probably help to campaign the old-fashioned way, you know, knock on doors and go to meetings held by civic groups, churches and other groups to speak to your future constituents.

 

So, what is (are) the problem(s) with our form of government ?​

~ The people we elect.

 

O bama was given little to no money for upgrading anything by congress,

 

Absolutely. Lying doesn't cost money and is easily ignored. Money under the bridge is permanent.

 

How do you know what I have done? It so happens that I have been politically active for about thirty years.

Sorry if you think my ideas are lame. I did the best I could.

Money equals power. Did you read my entire post? I mention money.

My God, man! You don’t even know what form of government we have here in the U.S.!

I am too old\unwell and never had the social skills and savoir-faire to run for office.

Did you author the amendments to the Constitution you listed because some of them are nonsensical? If not, from where did you copy them?

It would be almost an exercise in futility to make a single change to the status quo, let alone implement the crux of those “amendments.”

I asked for others’ ideas. Please stay close to the realm of possibility, and contribute yours.

I hope I addressed all of your concerns.

Thanks.

PS Why so defensive? Aren't we in the same boat, and don’t we have the same goals?

 

I should add another. It might be the biggest problem of all.

5. The apathy and ignorance of the voting public.

 

I believe there is a relatively simple, broad solution- and that is, Congress do the job it is paid to do, and do it in keeping with the rules and ethics they are already sworn to uphold. Since Congress actually controls all the functions of government in one way or another, that solution changes the game across the board. The rules are already in existence for this, they just aren't being honored. What if we fixed that?

 

I should retract that. Voter apathy isn't part of the form of government.