America needs major political reforms. One of the most important is Social Media Voting Advice—because it makes the other reforms POSSIBLE.
The American political system is in desperate need of multiple, major political reforms. In fact, it has come to the point that it needs a complete overhaul. This paper describes some major changes we need to make. Of them all, Social Media Voting Advice is arguably the most important, for the simple reason that removing money from the political equation eliminates the major impediment to change, and makes progress possible.
Other than the voting advice system, each point of this plan is covered by other organizations. Those points are summarized here in order to show how they fit into the overall picture, explain why they’re necessary, and provide references for additional information.
- The Need for a Complete Overhaul
- Half measures will not do. Our nation has critical problems,
and our political systems are the direct cause.
- Half measures will not do. Our nation has critical problems,
- Separation of Corporation and State
- Get corporations out of government.
- Government needs to be holding the reins, not be in them.
- Instant Runoff Voting (Ranked Choice Voting) and/or Approval Voting
- Eliminate the polarizing effect of primaries.
(Stop lurching to the left, then to the right, and back again.) - Elect centrist candidates who are truly the “most popular” choices—the ones that people AGREE on.
- Create viable candidates from alternative parties.
- There is even a secure online platform that makes it easy to set up a ranked-choice vote! https://www.opavote.com/
- Eliminate the polarizing effect of primaries.
- Proportional Representation
- Eliminate the Electoral College, so national elections reflect the will of the people–and so the policies that have produced such stunning success in California, New York, and Massachusetts can begin to roll out to the rest of the nation.
- Elimination of Gerrymandering
- Sensible districts, instead of districts that are engineered to guarantee a one-sided victory.
- Elimination of Earmarks
- Make sure things that are legislated are actually voted on.
- Social Media Voting-Advice Systems
- Make $$ irrelevant to elections.
- End the reign of lobbyists.
- Reclaim Corporate Governance
- With government back in the hands of average American, use it provide more control over corporations.
- A Progressive “Flat Tax”
- We need something simple, with minor gradations, that actually works. This paper outlines the characteristics of the kind of plan we need.
- Constitutional Amendment for an “Equal Opportunity” Tax
- We need to ensure, for all, equal access to education, an equal opportunity to found a company, and an equal opportunity to profit from a good idea. A Constitutional Amendment is required to ensure that it can never be taken away.
- The Campaign Contribution Solution
- Dr. Lessig proposes a Citizens Equality Act — legislation that will ensure voter equality.
- Recall Elections
- The American public needs the ability to undo an election when it becomes apparent that an egregious mistake has been made.
- Trump has made it clear that the intended Constitutional remedy of “impeachment” is not the answer. It takes too long, is all too commonly misinterpreted as requiring an actual crime.
- Bonus: The “No One is Above the Law” Amendment
- Okay, let’s make it a Baker’s dozen.
- Elizabeth Warren has proposed this one, bless her heart.
- Currently, there is seems to be some disagreement as to whether the President of the United States truly is above the law. Should he stay in office long enough to outlive the Statute of Limitations, he actually could be.
- And as Trump has made clear, after lying and exaggerating his way into office (with help from Russia), a President who has committed actual crimes can remain in office as long as one party controls either the House or the Senate.
- (For those who didn’t watch Mueller’s testimony before Congress, here’s the summary: Trump attempted to obstruct justice on 10 separate occasions. Were he not currently holding the office, he would have joined his many underlings who were already in jail, who he “pardoned” on his way out of office.)
- Elizabeth Warren proposes a constitutional amendment to make it clear that no one is above the law. Not even the President. Then justice can be served without making it into a political football.
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