A Modest Proposal

[pmcalk]

Over two hundred years ago, our forefathers developed a new system of governing based upon an idea that people should have a say in their government.  Many ideas were discussed, and ultimately a decision was made to allow for representation through Congress.

That system worked pretty well at first.  But lately we have seen what is typical of representational government:  an evolution into a kind of classic ward system in which logrolling, or informal vote-trading, prevents the nation's business from getting done.  This fact is made quite clear by the recent debacle over the transportation bill.  Instead of behaving in a manner benefiting the entire country, we saw politicians from Oklahoma to Alaska engaged in parochialism, demanding "pork" for their constituency, and listening to the vocal minority instead of heeding the needs of the nation.

I hear that businesses are not locating in the US because of this constant bickering.

What is to be done about this problem of ward politics?  We, as citizens, could take responsibility and demand more from our politicians.  We could demand that they represent all of our best interests, not just a select few.  We could educate ourselves, and vote for the best person.  But, then, that would take time and personal sacrifices, and no one wants to do that.  After all, my representative only makes demands for necessary projects; it's all of the others that demand pork.

Therefore, it has become all to clear that the only answer is to change our government.  I am proposing that we combine the district/state representation of our current Congress with an additional 150 representatives that are elected "at-large" via the entire nation.   This will combine the best of both worlds.  It will ensure that local groups are still represented, but also will ensure that a significant number of qualified (ie, wealthy white, protestant males) are part of the system.  Unlike the Congress that is elected from small districts, the "at-large" Congress will not be beholden to small groups of "voters."  Instead, they can concentrate on what's best for the people who fund their campaign, and what is best for the big cities—which, after all, have the most voters.  And we all know that when problems arise from political bickering, the best thing to do is throw some more politicians into the mix.

True, it may be difficult for states like Montana that only have one representative since the congress can pretty easily gang up on them.  But really the best thing for the country is for Montana to just be quiet—they will make a great dumping ground for all of our nuclear waste.  And if they try to say otherwise, well, that's just ward politics.  It may be true that minorities are better represented at district level positions, where minority votes count more significantly.  But, because fewer people vote in those elections, those minorities probably aren't very qualified.

And here is the best part—this proposal does not require either the citizens or the politicians take any responsibility for the problems; instead the problem is the system.  And twenty years from now, when we are faced with a whole new set of problems resulting from the at-large system, we can blame those idiots that decided to adopt the "at-large" system.