Frank's Musings

When the U.S. republic was initially designed its Congress was split into two Houses for the purpose of balancing the immediate preoccupations of the public with keeping the republic true to the overriding goal of protecting its democratic government from domination by an autocrat or by special interests.  Since then, another factor whose importance was not anticipated by the founders of the Constitution has overtaken other determinants of representative democracy —the money needed by politicians to pursue political positions as careers.  

The search for financial support has made many congressmen, and particularly those in the House of Representatives, advocates of special interests.  Their original mission has been corrupted by the expense of winning their election every two years.   Not only has the cost of political campaigning grown far beyond the parameters of campaign finance at the end of the eighteenth century, but the importance of political party affiliation, its distillation into two predominant parties, and the close affiliation of the Congressional parties with that of the President, the head of the administrative branch, have made the legislative branch likely to serve other interests than the will of the public.

Among the ways that the HR may be restored to its original function under modern conditions are the following three changes:      

• Use modern communications technologies to enable direct democracy, without the need for elected representatives to legislate on behalf of the collective constituents.   
• Transform the legislative personnel for each geographic district into civil service staff who are professionally qualified to understand the various preoccupations of its constituents and to draft legislation for their consideration in electronic adoption polls.
• Redefine the House Representatives as managers of those professional district staffs, retaining their subjection to periodic elections by the public in each district, but financing their audited campaigns exclusively with public funds.

The Senate will be needed as currently structured to act as the arbiter of the legislation proposed by the HR and assure its conformance with the overriding political goals of the republic.

Of course, such reform of the Congress will never occur; but congressional candidates may incorporate some of its principles into their election campaigns.  For example, they may consult regularly with their constituents through interactive electronic means; they may also focus attention on the quality and impartiality of their and their opponents’ staffs; and they may advocate and vote for replacement of private election finance with public funding.