The case for real reform in our federal government

Is there enough concern about the future of our country to bring meaningful reform to our federal government? Can the present accepted practices in our federal system continue unabated? Will there be a “straw that breaks the camel's back”?

These questions have been posed before by our ancestors, if the number of third party efforts can be used as evidence. That all have had their day, and that they have come and gone says much. And after all, we are here today with the two party system we casually think of as an historical constant. And while most of think of ourselves as living in a democracy, our government system is actually republican in design and practice. And demographics count. While we can dictate and pass laws all we want, changing people patterns will dominate much of what we become. For sure, we as a people are constantly changing. No one can control that, though many try.

There are three main courses of action if real reform is ever to go on.

No real reform. We the people have voted, and pretty well support the domestic and foreign practices that go on today. The two party system is good enough, and spending practices that go on today are manageable. That present voting pattern of about 40% for each side, with 20% in the middle seems to keep things balanced and able to control any abuses.

Reform from the inside. Real reform must come from within each of the two competing political parties in order to provide real reform of federal practices. Today, both parties look like different flavors of vanilla. Mostly this is reflected in how they rule when in the majority in the legislative and executive branches. Right now it seems like both parties seek votes to get power to get access to the public’s monies. Reform from the inside will prompt the two parties to seek votes to get power to solve national problems, domestic and foreign. Two alternatives to solve national problems is good for the nation and the voters. This course of action is the most difficult, since it will take leadership and political courage within each political party, and nobody wants to be a casualty…even if they solve the national problems.

Reform from the outside. Use the third party alternative to change the voting patterns. Most earlier third party initiatives have drawn more from one party than the other. Sometimes it was a party, or personality, split. Reform from the outside using a third party alternative would try change the voting pattern to 25% on each side, with 50% in the middle. This alternative would zero in on this middle 50%. This alternative admits that reform from the inside simply will never happen. And if the national problems don’t get solved, then we may go under.

If we Americans are to exist as an United States of America for the foreseeable future then we will have to change, too. Nothing remains the same. We in this new world have a good thing going. It is worth fighting for, debating about, and even improving. We did not get where we are by accident. And we will get to our future by our choices, and votes. We have choices, and courses of action.

For those fortunate, or unfortunate enough, to having lived overseas, most know we have a good deal here in the USA. We all also know that living beyond one’s means catches up, eventually. We also look out for our families, and our future generations. And more and more, many of us have come to believe that voting in local, state, and federal elections is very important, even more than we thought in the past. And we have at least three courses of action.