I think this whole essay is spot on, but I agree with the other commenters that one of the roots of the problem is the 2 party system. The DNC and RNC are entrenched undemocratic institutions given special government granted privileges over any other. They are "out of touch" because by and large they don't need to be in touch. They have structured the system so they by and large don't have to care about the vast majority of the population using gerrymandering and partisan brain worm narratives propagandized by a sensationalist news media. 75% of states almost never switch which party controls it's legislature or who they vote for for president.
The way we vote is a critical factor in entrenching this 2 party system. First past the post (vote for one of many candidates) is the literal worst voting system, and it's spoiler effects mean 3rd parties have no chance. We need to switch voting systems to score voting, approval voting, or ranked choice voting to eliminate (or in the case of RCV, reduce) the spoiler effect. We need to make it illegal to put a candidate's party on the ballot - make people do the research. Proportional representation for legislatures would also help enormously.
We need to recognize that it's not simply the parties that are broken, but it is the foundational structures of our government themselves that have shown their age poorly and need, not just repair, but an update. The aftermath of the great depression led to numerous errosions of the limits on the federal government, and those errosions have been disastrous for our country. As a country we need to recognize that our strength is the fact that we are a federation of states, United but separate. We cannot continue to make every issue an existential moral imperative that demands federal universal government action. An increasingly unlimited government is what attracts corruption. Reducing the power of the federal government is the only way to make corrupt influences less attracted to it.
This is why I support Represent Us, they're doing this kind of electoral foundational work. And all the important things are at the state level, which is their strategic focus.
We need a candidate to run on fixing the structures of our government. This would be massively bipartisan, but the existing parties don't want it. They'll resist it. So what do we do?
I agree 100% that a top priority of making government effective is restoring competitiveness to our elections by ending gerrymandering and changing our voting system. My preference is all party non partisan primaries with approval voting.
What we need is to get some more wins at the state and local level with ballot initiatives and then take it national by winning over one of the two parties (the Democratic party is the only one of the two that would champion it if we are being realistic.)
I definitely agree the best approach is to start from the more local levels. But actually, it seems to me that nothing is either required nor possible at the federal level. States control how their national congress members are elected and how presidential electoral congress electors are chosen. You might be right that the democratic party might be more likely to champion it, but I wouldn't assume they're too eager to do that. And when I say "they're" I mean the entrenched interests that control the direction of the DNC, not democrats at large.
This is thoughtful & heartfelt I know but the problem cannot be solved by the two party system that created it. A nuanced approach by one party can’t get airtime in the social media arms race that is the duopoly.
A curse on both their houses.
It may need to break entirely or next time it’ll just be a different 50% of the population that will feel alienated in their own country
I think this whole essay is spot on, but I agree with the other commenters that one of the roots of the problem is the 2 party system. The DNC and RNC are entrenched undemocratic institutions given special government granted privileges over any other. They are "out of touch" because by and large they don't need to be in touch. They have structured the system so they by and large don't have to care about the vast majority of the population using gerrymandering and partisan brain worm narratives propagandized by a sensationalist news media. 75% of states almost never switch which party controls it's legislature or who they vote for for president.
The way we vote is a critical factor in entrenching this 2 party system. First past the post (vote for one of many candidates) is the literal worst voting system, and it's spoiler effects mean 3rd parties have no chance. We need to switch voting systems to score voting, approval voting, or ranked choice voting to eliminate (or in the case of RCV, reduce) the spoiler effect. We need to make it illegal to put a candidate's party on the ballot - make people do the research. Proportional representation for legislatures would also help enormously.
We need to recognize that it's not simply the parties that are broken, but it is the foundational structures of our government themselves that have shown their age poorly and need, not just repair, but an update. The aftermath of the great depression led to numerous errosions of the limits on the federal government, and those errosions have been disastrous for our country. As a country we need to recognize that our strength is the fact that we are a federation of states, United but separate. We cannot continue to make every issue an existential moral imperative that demands federal universal government action. An increasingly unlimited government is what attracts corruption. Reducing the power of the federal government is the only way to make corrupt influences less attracted to it.
This is why I support Represent Us, they're doing this kind of electoral foundational work. And all the important things are at the state level, which is their strategic focus.
We need a candidate to run on fixing the structures of our government. This would be massively bipartisan, but the existing parties don't want it. They'll resist it. So what do we do?
I agree 100% that a top priority of making government effective is restoring competitiveness to our elections by ending gerrymandering and changing our voting system. My preference is all party non partisan primaries with approval voting.
What we need is to get some more wins at the state and local level with ballot initiatives and then take it national by winning over one of the two parties (the Democratic party is the only one of the two that would champion it if we are being realistic.)
I definitely agree the best approach is to start from the more local levels. But actually, it seems to me that nothing is either required nor possible at the federal level. States control how their national congress members are elected and how presidential electoral congress electors are chosen. You might be right that the democratic party might be more likely to champion it, but I wouldn't assume they're too eager to do that. And when I say "they're" I mean the entrenched interests that control the direction of the DNC, not democrats at large.
Micah.
This is thoughtful & heartfelt I know but the problem cannot be solved by the two party system that created it. A nuanced approach by one party can’t get airtime in the social media arms race that is the duopoly.
A curse on both their houses.
It may need to break entirely or next time it’ll just be a different 50% of the population that will feel alienated in their own country
Micah, to solve this, we need to rise above the political climate.
The problem isn't left va right, dem vs GOP, is pro-progress vs anti-progress.
What we call “economic growth” or “material progress” is simply our use of matter and energy in beneficial ways. It's our resistance against entropy.
Policy that impairs this are generally bad and those that encourage it are good.
We must resist the temptation to fall into the political trap laid by ideologues who promote self-serving agendas.
you in the 20th century ?! or your just bemoaning the past, one which is never coming back. Pathetic drivel.........
Maybe the most uninspiring offer yet.
I don't know how much traction "the system is working, we just need better managers" is going to get.