There Is Much We Need To Do

Our system of Governance in the United States is broken.

Most of that is due to our political party system and the corruption that it breeds. Attaining and maintaining power has become the guiding principle of politicians. The accumulation of power is not to enact policy but rather to retain control for its own sake. Curbing the undue influence of political parties is the best way to regain political sanity.

There definitely needs to be a reform of political parties. One of the best places to start are reforms to the executive branch. For the most part, Congress could enact these reforms through legislation, although in at least one case a Constitutional amendment would need to be passed.

Since Watergate, we have allowed the president to decide which “norms” to follow. President Trump showed that following only custom is no longer feasible. Without change, we are acknowledging that every four years, we could elect a dictator who is above the law and can do about anything that he/she desires. That is the state that we find the presidency today.

Electing dictators as the Roman Republic did toward its end is not what the Founders had in mind. In fact, they left consistent evidence in their writings about what they expected of the president and what they thought his character should and should not be. With the passage of 234 years, it is time for Congress to memorialize into law the Founder’s intentions.