How to fix the US government

[CuriousPhoenix]

For the past couple of years, I've seen Americans get more and more frustrated at our government. Our government has become dysfunctional. Basically, every politician is campaigning every single second of their terms. They take bribes and lie. They do not compromise and then blame everyone else. I am tired of having a government that can't function.

I just want to know what everyone thinks is a valid solution. It won't just take one change to fix the government but many. I believe that we have to make campaigning free to those running for office. The multiple reasons. First off, if the campaigns are free or government paid, then big time donors no longer have the pull that they do now. Everyone is an equal when money doesn't equal speech and power. Also the winner won't have to fulfill promised made to corporations that donated to his campaign because he won't have to take donations from corporations. The second thing I would do, would be to outlaw lobbying. Many times lobbying takes the form of expensive meals, campaign donations, and jobs after their term ends. Making lobbying illegal will allow legislation to be passed by merit and not which side could bribe the most congressmen.

These are just two examples of how we can fix the government to work for the American People and not the corporations and the wealthy.

Any others?

[Pix]

This:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant-runoff_voting

Even if it doesn't work as I hoped, it should at least give the corrupt bastards in both parties (and the special interests that own them) some ulcers, and I'll take that small revenge. :tongue:

[palbert]

One thing to do is rein in Citizens United;

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. ___ (2010), (Docket No. 08-205), is a U.S. constitutional law case dealing with the regulation of campaign spending by organizations. The United States Supreme Court held that the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent political expenditures by non profit organizations. The principles articulated by the Supreme Court in the case have also been extended to corporations, labor unions and other associations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_Un...Commission

We should also rein in pork barrel spending.

[Bowyn Aerrow]

I suspect that Mom nature is getting ready to fix a lot of human's problems.

Unfortunately the treatment is going to be a lot more painful than the illness - for a short period of time... relatively speaking.

Civilization has a history of resetting itself, either wars, famines, disease, civil wars whatever.

Its the natural order of things. America is coming to its reset. Its already no longer number one in many areas.

[Borg69]

Make politicians wear a lie detector 24/7 and hold them accountable.

[MikeW]

Make politicians wear a lie detector 24/7 and hold them accountable.

Yeah, sure, and how do we MAKE politicians do ANYTHING? -- Including pass into law many of the good suggestions above??

Does anyone seriously believe that our elected officials are going to do ANYTHING that will lessen their power, influence, control, or wealth? Seriously?? Why would they? It would be one thing if, indeed, we could vote them out of office and replace them with others who would follow our demands -- but that's just it. We can't do that.

How can you control elected officials when you can't even control who counts and tabulates the votes? When there isn't even a clear paper record of who voted for what or whom?

Anyone who believes that the current manifestation of the US Government is "dysfunctional" doesn't understand what its function now IS. (Hint: It isn't to serve the American people except for breakfast, lunch and dinner to the fat cats who OWN them.)

America is an empire now. The great experiment in constitutional democracy has failed spectacularly. "Democracy" is an illusion (at best).

[LJay]

Some way of getting the big money out of politics has got to happen.

another thing that would help immensely would be to limit the length of campaigns to a month for local offices and two months for state and national offices, president included.

[jaxc]

we could just say "FUCK IT!" and just go complete anarchy, worst case scenario, we live in a post-apocalyptic "Mad Max" style society, and even than at least we don't have to worry about the IRA:biggrin plus i'm still trying to justify my reinforced leather armor i made:biggrin: )

[Jake]

Call technical support

[StingRay]

The only thing that's been said here that I think would really backfire real bad is the free political campaigns. All that would do is open the doors up for every type of whacko like the ones who showed up for the Idaho Governors Debate a few months ago except there would be more of them.

I'm going to vote for what some guys on armed forces and veterans forums are saying.
Politicians and anyone who is a public leader or employee should be held to a higher standard of honesty than gas station cashiers who can be fired just for lying about what time they came to work or left. Keep the law real simple. Any one of the them who gets caught doing anything that even looks shifty is out of a job. Any of them caught telling the public anything but the truth, underhanded deals or funny money deals gets hauled off shot in the head and their body dumped at sea to feed sharks.

It wouldnt take but 2 or 3 of them converted to shark food to scare some honesty into the rest of them.