Fixing a broken system

[unixronin]

For those who haven't seen it yet, this essay on reforming the US political system makes a hell of a lot of sense.

Some of the author's key points:

• Absolute term limits for ALL high elected offices -- eight years in the House, the Senate, and/or the Oval Office, combined, and term limits for political appointees as well.  It's public service; it shouldn't be a lifetime career.
• No more lesser of two evils -- put a binding "None of the above" on ALL ballot choices, including for the Presidency.  If "None of the above" gets more votes than any candidate, nobody is elected for that office, and there has to be a new election for it with all new candidates.
• Shorter election seasons -- You get 60 days to get your message across, instead of spending two years of your first term working on getting elected for the second.
• Shorter congressional sessions -- Congress should sit for only 60 days at a time, then go home, "because nobody's life, liberty or property is safe when Congress is in session."
• Representative Congressional pay -- the pay you get as Congressman, Senator or President is the median income for the constituency you represent.  You say you represent average Americans?  Learn to live like one.

Comments

[radarrider.livejournal.com]

At first blush, most of it sounds good. There are a couple that I'm not sure on, however.

- The 60-day Congressional session. I can envision a case where something has to be voted on by Congress that won't wait until the next session. There should be provision for emergency sessions, or the ability to vote on something remotely.
- Eliminating the Electoral College. There are valid arguments for keeping the College. Basically it boils down to making sure that smaller states aren't ignored. But there are valid arguments for eliminating it as well so my mind isn't made up on this one yet.

I would also add:
- Repeal the 17th Amendment. Return the responsibility of selecting Senators to the respective state legislatures.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

I agree on both of your first two points. The "emergency sessions" provision needs to have strong protections against abuse, though. And while we're at it, I think the provision that allows two senators to meet in the middle of the night, assert a quorum, and pass a bill needs to go.

I'm not greatly familiar with the 17th. I should look it up. But on that subject, I'd like to see an end to the practice of joint Presidential/Vice-Presidential tickets, and a return to the original intent that the winner was President, and the first runner-up became Vice-President. I'm all in favor of keeping a balance of viewpoints in the White House.

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

I think the elimination of the 17th is the first step towards getting the country back under control.

The Electoral College wouldn't have 1% of the importance is has today if the damned President weren't really an elected Emperor.

-Ogre

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

Forget about the Electoral College, and fantasies about getting rid of it. It is enshrined in the actual Constitution, so it will take an amendment to get rid of it. No small state will ever let senators take it that far, and it will never be ratified by enough states (too many small ones.)