Three Keys to Fixing Our Broken Political System

There is near universal recognition that the American political system is broken. The right blames the left. The left blames the right. Partisans advance the idea that the election of their party will fix the problem. Yet each party has had their shot over the last twelve years after which the system is even more broken.

Frustration among the electorate is turning to outright disgust. But political leaders and parties can’t seem to stop themselves from conducting business as usual. The situation seems hopeless. Is there any way to fix the disfunctionality of politics?

Fixing our broken political system will take time and a comprehensive approach that addresses many areas of concern. However, among all the things that could be done, there are three key things that must be done if we hope to fix the most profound systemic issues within politics.

1. Term Limits – Our political system was designed with the idea of “citizen politicians” built in. George Washington called it quits after two terms, because he believed in this idea. Subsequently, we came to codify this concept with respect to the term limits of the presidency with an amendment to the Constitution. But career politicians dominate Congress.

When Congress is a career, the motivations for casting a “yea” or “nay” vote on particular legislation or for proposing or not proposing particular types of legislation can easily become compromised. Preservation of position and power, particularly as the career politician looks to the next election, often becomes a driving force in the way politics gets done.

Serving in Congress should be about serving, not positioning oneself for the next election. So why not make the term of office six years for both Representatives and Senators, and limit individuals to one term in each House of Congress?

2. Campaign Financing Reform – The Bible says that a root of all kinds of evil is money. As the adage says, “Follow the money.” Who would disagree that money has corrupted politics? It has done so in at least two ways. First, candidates are beholden to individuals with deep pockets who pour substantial financial resources into their campaigns directly and indirectly (e.g. Super PACs). Second, candidates with deep pockets themselves or who have connections to people with deep pockets are given an insurmountable advantage over ordinary citizens. The vast majority of the electorate is effectively eliminated from any reasonable hope to run for office due to the enormous costs of campaigns.

Like salary caps in professional sports, there should be limits to how much any one candidate’s campaign may spend, including specific limits on spending for campaign advertising. Additionally, no individual should be permitted to contribute more than $1,000 per year in the aggregate for all political activities. Further, corporations and other business entities (profit and not for profit) should be prohibited from contributions to any political activities.

3. Eliminate Lobbying – Members of Congress are supposed to represent the best interests of their entire constituency. Our whole system of representative democracy is built upon it. Lobbying activities undermine true representative democracy.

Sure, many would vociferously argue against this idea claiming “freedom of speech.” But remember, this freedom is not absolute. I can’t slander another, because it is destructive. I can’t yell “fire” in a theatre, because it is disruptive and potentially dangerous. I can’t lie on the witness stand, because it hinders justice. Likewise, I shouldn’t be permitted to have special access to Congressman with the intent to influence their vote toward a special interest and away from shared, common interests, because it is corrupt.

All three of these are necessary, because they hold hands with each other. To do one without the other two isn’t enough. Implementation of two of the three still leaves us short of the goal. If all three of these steps are taken, it won’t solve all of the problems of our political system, but it will give us a huge push in the right direction. Without addressing these three key issues, all the other attempts to fix our political system are just rearranging chairs on the deck of the Titanic.