It is becoming more and more apparent that, while you live in a society that claims the power and influence of the ballot box in determining the course of our individual states and our nation, your representatives do not represent you.
While most would agree that the system is not working as it should, you may not really understand the reasons for its failure. You need help to define the problem and its causes, and to work out a solution which will bring about true representative government. That is the purpose of this site.
We will outline for you one of the biggest reasons why representative government does not work as it once did.
This problem exists in most states and in Washington D.C.!
When you understand what this problem is, you will clearly see that it underlies many other issues, and that changing it will help make other reforms possible.
We will teach you the step-by-step system you can use to fix this problem in your state. Once you see what needs to be done, you will be prepared to take action and remove a major barrier to true representative government.
This issue is at the root of so many other problems with our government. It slows and even prevents much of the grassroots activism in our country. It goes to the heart of maintaining the status quo and keeps the political class in power. It encourages financial corruption and party politics. In fact, it drives them!
The rules of the legislature make it practically impossible, especially for a new representative or senator, to represent you in the way they are supposed to. The problem is built into the system.
While all legislators are elected by a comparable number of citizens from their respective districts, only a handful will end up running the legislature along with their friends and special interests.
If you paid attention to your required Civics course in high school, you probably think you have a good grasp of the way things work. The people elect legislators who listen to those they represent and turn their ideas into bills, which then get voted on and, if passed, become law. You probably assume that your legislator’s bills will be treated equally and fairly. You may believe that every bill gets heard and voted on. If you believe in the system, you may assume that electing the right man for the job is the end of your responsibility to good government.
However, what many of us know from our limited education about government is only a very basic framework of the way the system is supposed to work.
In most states, a brand new legislature is put in office by election every other year. Some of the members will be returning from the previous legislature, while some will be there for the first time. Approximately one third of the legislators are newly elected in each election cycle. The returning two thirds usually maintain seniority, special interest connections, and often leadership roles. New members, like a freshman at a new high school, start at the very bottom of the power structure, with very little voice.