Half 1 of two
For a number of years, I’ve been educating courses on the Academy of Lifelong Studying at Cape Cod Neighborhood School. This system provides a variety of subject material for 50-year-old-plus Cape Codders. Figuring out an election was coming, I provided an “Election Roundtable” … two roomfuls of seniors throughout two successive 6-week periods. Right here was an opportunity to debate politics with educated seniors with lifetimes of expertise and reflection.
Every of us agreed to return to our ultimate class with concepts for enhancing our nation’s politics. Rick jumped in first with a proposal to repeal the Supreme Courtroom’s Residents United ruling that opened the floodgates for personal and company cash to pour into our electoral course of.
Hillary Clinton reportedly spent over a billion {dollars} on her marketing campaign — and misplaced! Sandra discovered that an encouraging piece of reports. She could, nonetheless, have been the one optimist within the room about how effectively our electoral system will survive with a lot integrity left to it.
Why, in spite of everything, would company donors and particular pursuits half with their money in the event that they weren’t fairly assured they had been going to get their cash’s price? That it’s authorized — and even customary — ought to bother us all of the extra. There was little confidence within the room {that a} authorities hip-deep in particular curiosity cash will ever give it up voluntarily.
A number of individuals insisted there must be time period limits for all public workplaces.
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Suzanne wished there was some technique to assure that individuals working for workplace had been ethical individuals, not pushed by self-interest. We acquired some good dialogue on that one, making an attempt to make clear how we’d know an ethical individual once we noticed one. Ultimately, all people needed politicians who represented the need of their constituents quite than, say, the need of donors and particular pursuits.
Ought to there be age limitations as effectively? Understandably, this was a tough query for a room full of senior residents. We did not get resounding assist for that concept, nevertheless it was identified that most individuals in skilled life are anticipated to retire by 70 to 75 years of age.
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I requested how the thought of ranked alternative voting would possibly enchantment to the group. The system would possibly appeal to extra curiosity if extra People understood the thought higher. In some methods, we’ve tended to love the easier winner-takes-all strategy, despite the fact that as at present arrange, our electoral course of tends to favor extra excessive candidates. Regardless that the group most popular extra centrist politicians, it remained a troublesome promote.
Bob nervous that huge bureaucracies — sincere or not — are inclined to frustrate the favored will. Sandra tell us she didn’t belief the federal authorities to deal with basically something, not to mention publicly financed elections. The category had blended opinions. About cash in politics, the group was overwhelmingly uncomfortable with it. Most appeared extra assured within the integrity of civil servants than of elected politicians.
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We didn’t get into the media a lot however agreed on the deliberate manufacturing of falsehoods — and their immediate supply to tens of millions — poses one of the crucial harmful threats to our democratic course of.
Over a number of periods, the thought of a obligatory 2 years of nationwide service for all 18-year-olds continued to have broad enchantment. Presumably, scholar loans might be linked to this concept, so willingness to show, do social work or medical work in rural or inner-city settings might get their scholar loans paid off. (It’s notably troublesome for lecturers and social staff to repay their school loans with the salaries being provided as we speak.)
We had an excellent dialogue about how our economic system has shifted over the previous couple of many years from manufacturing to finance … taking part in subtle video games with pre-existing wealth. Throw within the lack of jobs abroad — or to robotics — and there was critical concern a few systemic collapse of the center class. How can we belief our electoral system to carry if our monetary system doesn’t?
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We had a unanimous settlement that our authorities could be extra sincere and extra consultant if electoral districts weren’t gerrymandered.
Here is the factor, although. What we did was labor intensive. We met as soon as every week for six weeks to have our discussions. What we constructed, nonetheless momentary, suggests the quantity of labor it should take for People to un-polarize themselves. We now have numerous work to do and never a complete lot of time left to do it. Little teams like ours across the nation are proving that it is doable to take America to a brighter place. However our politics and our media have turn into dangerously polarized and narcissistic. God assist us if we resolve that we prefer it that means.
Lawrence Brown is a columnist for the Cape Cod Occasions. E-mail him at columnresponse@gmail.com.
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