In the event you requested me to call one factor that appears politically possible and would assist repair what ails America, I’d let you know that it’s fixing the issue of gerrymandered Congressional districts.
In a gerrymandered district, the overall election is intentionally made noncompetitive. The district is gerrymandered thus far to the left or proper that the Democratic or Republican candidate will win the overall election, irrespective of the candidate from the opposing celebration. Politicians know this and act accordingly. Republicans govern from the laborious proper to keep away from a major problem that would price them their seat; Democrats govern from the laborious left for a similar purpose.
There’s additionally no purpose to compromise in a gerrymandered world. In a good common election, being recognized for compromise would possibly win you a couple of votes from moderates within the opposing celebration, however these votes are irrelevant in immediately’s world. Elected officers stake out radical positions and refuse to compromise (thus avoiding major challenges) after which win their common elections in gerrymandered districts. We, the unlucky public, undergo the outcome. We stay in a world with out compromise or sanity.
That is what makes notably galling Texas Republicans’ latest choice to interact in midcycle redistricting — gerrymandering districts in between the customary as soon as in a decade (similar to a decennial census). Republicans need to create extra protected Republican seats, rising the percentages that Republicans will keep management of the Home of Representatives in 2026. Democrats are after all threatening to reply in type, proposing to interact in midcycle redistricting of their very own to create extra Democratic seats to offset the brand new Republican ones.
If you wish to enhance the American political system, let nonpartisan our bodies design Congressional districts with a mandate to create as many aggressive districts as moderately potential. Extra aggressive races would punish the loonies of each the appropriate and left and would encourage legislative compromises. That may be a step in the appropriate path.
(I do know that crafting Congressional districts is hard, and creating aggressive districts is tough. That’s nice. Don’t let the right be the enemy of the great. Attempt for extra aggressive districts. Let’s no less than head the appropriate method.)
Texas Republicans are working straight within the different path. Disgrace on them. Disgrace on the Democrats, too, though one can no less than perceive that, if one celebration goes to gerrymander to maintain management of Congress, the opposite celebration feels compelled to do its personal gerrymandering to keep away from ceding floor to its opponent.
Fixing gerrymandering is one factor that we should always be capable of do, and that will start to treatment American politics. However we seemingly gained’t do it.
In the event you requested me to call one factor that will enhance the legislative course of just a little bit, and shouldn’t be too laborious to implement, it might be to ban buying and selling of particular person securities by members of Congress.
Sure members of Congress appear to have made a killing by shopping for or promoting securities simply earlier than Congress took legislative motion that benefited (or harmed) a selected business. This stinks; it shouldn’t be allowed. All members of Congress must be required to speculate solely by way of mutual funds or blind trusts to keep away from unfair and unseemly buying and selling primarily based on nonpublic data.
However Congress gained’t cross that legislation.
Why not?
Senator Rick Scott objects to the concept that lawmakers must be required to place their holdings in mutual funds, implying this could diminish wealthy legislators’ funding returns, which simply isn’t honest.
Cry me a river, you sanctimonious jerk.
Who says we’d like Rick Scott, or anybody vaguely like him, in Congress?
There are many individuals with fewer investments than Scott who could be glad to serve in Congress even when inventory buying and selling by members of Congress had been utterly banned. Let’s elect a kind of individuals as an alternative of self-righteous assholes like Scott.
In truth, there are in all probability even a couple of wealthy individuals on this nation who’re capable of assume: “I’m going to serve in Congress for a short time. The curiosity of America issues greater than my very own private self-interest, and I’m completely glad to sacrifice a portion of my funding returns for the transient time after I’m serving in Congress. America comes first; the place do I join a mutual fund or a blind belief?”
However Rick Scott doesn’t assume that method.
That thought has apparently by no means entered his smug little mind.
I don’t know who’ll run in opposition to Scott when he’s subsequent up for re-election, but when I had been a Floridian, the selection is evident: Vote for the opposite man.
Mark Herrmann spent 17 years as a companion at a number one worldwide legislation agency and later oversaw litigation, compliance and employment issues at a big worldwide firm. He’s the writer of The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing Law and Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy (affiliate hyperlinks). You’ll be able to attain him by e mail at [email protected].
