Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I think part of the problem with corruption in politics is, the Constitution was written by men who couldn't fathom things such as lifetime/career politicians. They never imagined a judge would sit on a bench until they grew old and died. They imagined that people would serve until such time as they themselves evaluated themselves as unfit to continue, George Washington even alluded to that in his farewell address. That the power they held during their service was not something to be desired, but rather a burden that they would be glad to be rid of. But modern politics, particularly since the early 1900s, has turned that upside down with people getting rich while in office, and holding on as long as they can to play political games (like RBG) and continue to keep the power. The problem is elected office isn't a burden anymore. Maybe some small local jurisdictions where a mayor or city councilperson is paid a $5000 stipend for 40 hours of service per year it kind of is, but once you get to the State level and above, it's a career.
That's why if I were amending the Constitution, or rewriting it or a State Constitution or founding my own dang country, I'd include several severe limitations:
1. Universal term limits, where you can't even run for, or be appointed to certain offices, for a length of time equal to your previous service. So if you served in the House for two terms, you can't even run for anything else (at ANY level of govt) for four years. Serve two terms in the Senate? You're stuck for twelve years. Leave the length of the term to whatever, so a city can set its Mayoral term to eight years if it wants, or Congress could still set Supreme Court terms to 18, or 25, or 40 years.
1a. I'd actually be tempted to make it "one and done" where once you serve at any level, you're done, for life. City council for two years and you're voted out? Too bad, you're done. But this would give too much power to the corporations as who would be known well enough nationally to run for a national office other than a big business professional like Bill Gates or Donald Trump or Warren Buffett. Then you might have to limit candidates to not having held certain positions in any business (over a certain size) for a certain length of time preceding the election or appointment. (Yes, I'm including certain appointed positions in all of this so someone can't leap from say Secretary of State to President).
2. Require divestment of all directly-managed public securities. You want to keep a 401k under your control? Fine. Have a general money market account with Charles Schwab or Merrill Edge? Fine. But if you're elected to office, your stocks are required to be put in the control of a neutral broker who can have no direct contact with you (so not your spouse, your brother, or your kids) and must manage them as they would manage anyone else's money.
3. Require a practical college degree. No more people going to college, kissing the right backsides and effectively getting a degree in politics (Political Science, non-lawyer law degree, etc.). Engineering, teaching, computers, biology, something hireable out of college, no gender studies, literature, or similar degrees. I'm tempted to exclude law degrees entirely, but I know there are many good, hardworking lawyers, that are grounded in the practical world, and truly seek justice, but there are just as many Clintons and Obamas out there who would gladly jump at the power. I'm also tempted to exclude pure business degrees. Get a degree in software engineering and then get an MBA to run a good software company? Fine. But get a bachelor's of business to get into management? No. Get a bachelor's of business, but also get a mechanical engineering degree? Also fine.
4. Limit direct, total compensation to the median income of the area you represent. U.S. median income is $61,937. The president shouldn't be compensated more than $61,937 per year. You represent Atlanta's English avenue? Your direct compensation is limited to $26,613. This includes any weird "bonuses" paid out of the city/state/national budget. That English Avenue representative gets a $500 bonus for something? Their income the rest of the year now has to be no more than $26,113 from Atlanta.
4a. Somehow, limit "speaking fees" or book deals or the similar based on a politician's service to costs plus just a little extra ($500? $1000? 10% of costs?).
5. Related to 4, districts must follow obvious boundaries (roads, railroads, rivers, topography, etc.). This needs to be worded better, but basically no gerrymandering, and like the above, no representing Atlanta's English avenue, then drawing a 10-ft wide city council district up Northside Dr into the Buckhead McMansions so your area median income is now $100,000.
Yes, some of these seem reasonable, but how likely is it that the congress critters would implement these policies? Power attracts the corruptible, and they like to maintain and expand their power. I think there's only so much you can do through legislation; the rest needs to come from maintaining a free press and having the two parties constantly police each other.
We really, really, really do a crappy job of teaching Civics these days.
They could indeed fathom lifetime/career politicians, that was part of the discussion and debate when they were writing the Constitution.
College degrees, for those that had them, at the time the constitution was written were almost all liberal arts degrees. The point of college was to learn how to be a scholar or philosopher, not learn a trade. Even most doctors and lawyers at the time obtained their credentials from studying books and serving apprenticeships.
At the time of the Constitution, only the wealthy or well connected went into politics and only land owners could vote. Additionally senators were appointed by the state, they were not voted on by people. The 17th Amendment was what allowed the federal government to blow up to its current monstrous size. It destroyed states’ rights.
__________________
When I post in bold red that is moderator action and, per the TOS, can only be discussed through Direct Message.
1a. I'd actually be tempted to make it "one and done" where once you serve at any level, you're done, for life. City council for two years and you're voted out? Too bad, you're done.
TRANSLATION: We cannot have any Presidential candidate who has ever served in ANY office before.
In other words, in 2016, Donald J. Trump is the ONLY major candidate from any party, who would be qualified!
The Amendment we really need is one to end big dark money in elections.
The PACs and Super-PACs with their anonymous donors of unlimited amounts have become vehicles by which the very wealthiest influence decisions and appointments, and control our government.
Representatives and Senators no longer truly represent the residents in their districts and states, they represent the people they meet or call on a regular basis and listen to intently: their out of state donors.
Town halls to meet the regular folks in-district have become so rare and fleeting they have almost become a thing of the past. Private fund raisers as fancy dinners with out of state wealthy with fat wallets and checkbooks have not. Many of these donors are on a first-name basis with our representatives and also with our nation's cabinet officials.
Profit making corporations have been given the same 1st Amendment rights as real live people, their dollars are considered 'speech'. But they can marshal up far more greenback 'speech' than real live individuals can, sometimes more 'speech' than millions of real live people can afford altogether!
Our government is for sale, and we can correct this problem, but we need a constitutional amendment.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
