Political system

SAFE is concerned with public policy – not politics as such – but it is hard to envision our smaller, more focused, less costly government agenda being implemented without major changes in the political climate.  Indeed, over the past 50 years or so, the country has been moving the other way most of the time.   

The obvious solution might seem to be that Americans should wake up, demand policy changes, and elect political leaders who will honor their wishes.  Isn’t that what the Tea Party movement launched in 2009 is all about? 

But political protest movements tend to burn out quickly, and the major political parties seem to have an affinity for a big government approach that enables them to distribute a lot of “goodies” to their supporters. 

It is tempting to see a solution in the original intent of the Constitution, which was that the federal government would exercise its enumerated powers while leaving other matters, e.g., education and welfare spending, to the state governments and/or private initiative.  In other words, let’s follow the 10th Amendment. 

One doubts the courts will say they have wrongly decided case after case over the past century or so, however, and scrapping the huge federal government programs that have been created does not figure to be easy.  There are also problems with state and local governments, which could not be solved simply by getting the Feds out of the picture.

Structural changes in the US political system may be needed to achieve lasting improvements, or indeed to avert a financial crisis with drastic long-term consequences.  But what sort of changes?

On the left, there have been proposals to do away the Electoral College, supervise the drawing of Congressional district lines, and institute new electoral finance “reforms” (current rules in this area seem to have done more harm than good). Quite possibly, additional rights would be proposed in the name of “social justice.”

Many conservatives have suggested a balanced budget amendment, repeal of the income tax, term limits, etc.  For discussion, see Government Run Amok Disease, Nov.-Dec. 2009.

Absent structural changes, Americans must do the best they can with the existing political system.  Our observations in this area (see the following blog entries) will hopefully assist them in navigating the rapids that lie ahead.

Blog entries

4/16/12 – Time to reset the central bank

3/19/12 – A tale of two videos

3/12/12 – Don’t believe everything you hear

3/5/12 – Can this country be saved?

1/9/12 – About those recess appointments

12/19/11 – Beware the planning disease; it takes action to get things done

11/21/11 – GOP economic plan offers some good ideas, but weak execution

11/14/11 – “We can’t wait” campaign is a farce

9/26/11 – “Happytalk” revisited and what to do about it

8/29/11 – Congress’s ratings hit new lows: some thought about the stats

7/4/11- Remember the past to save the future

5/9/11- An administrative blitz: taking cover is not enough

5/2/11 – Meanwhile on the administrative front

9/13/10 – Long live the Constitution

6/28/10 – And never the twain shall meet: the Left/Right divide

3/15/10 – Gridlock won’t look so bad if it stops GovCare

3/1/10 – Should government be held to a higher standard?

Government Run Amok Disease (Nov.-Dec. 2009) – Four-blog series on ideas for making the US government work better

7/6/09 – “Happytalk” blossoms in the nation’s capital

10/27/08 – What would you like, central planning or an eclectic mix?

7/28/08 – Derailing the government gravy train

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