A promising blueprint (Harlan Ullman, part 3 of 3)

The Washington Times ^ | June 21, 2006 | Harlan Ullman

[neverdem]

The last of three excerpts.

    The crisis in American governance is easy to define and difficult to fix. The array of problems facing the nation is as complex as at any time in our history. Many have no good or clear solution such as regaining the moral high ground in the war on terror. If containing the pernicious excesses of culture, crusade and partisanship are the best or only way to improve governance, what must be done? First, unless the public engages its government, effective action cannot follow. Second, accountability must be returned to government and government disciplined to act competently and for the public good.

    Third, gross excesses and abuses of civil liberties that have stained America's promise must be cleansed. Fourth, we need a strategic framework to set the nation's course.

    The most effective way for the public to engage government is through the ballot box and public pressure. But only just over half of eligible Americans vote. To engage Americans, a system of universal voting is proposed. Americans would be required to go to the polls or submit an absentee ballot for national elections. A vote need not be cast: however Americans must show up. Readers can speculate on what impact increasing the voting electorate to 70, 80 or even 90 percent would have on the political landscape and on curbing the worst excesses of culture, crusade and...

--snip--

In Congress, for example, where virtually no one reads a bill before it is passed, members would be required to certify that they have read and understood the legislation on which they are voting. For the executive branch, senior officials would certify that the figures submitted in proposed legislation were accurate and if later proved erroneous by a large threshold, the law would be automatically revoked.

[garbageseeker]

He has some interesting proposals but his proposals like a national referendum would need a constitutional amendment. Referendums are usually associated with a parliamentary system.A good intellectual piece for debate.

[AZLiberty]

The expectations for the U.S. Government are far too high. No bureaucracy as big as that can have a net positive effect, nor any useful form of accountability. The U.S. Government should be scaled back to its constitutional mandate, with most issues being managed at the state level or lower.

Unfortunately, it would require a constitutional amendment to force the government to obey the constitution -- and Congress has no interest in that. It will take another American Revolution to set things right.

[garbageseeker]

I still have hope.