Is it time for a new Constitutional Convention? We could shrink the size of government and improve quality representation beginning with Congress,
President Obama appealed to Congress for responsibility to renew the provisions of the Patriot Act that are needed for national security. Political stuntsman, Rand Paul, a candidate for president, has made preventing the law his campaign pledge. If he doesn’t stop it, his campaign is likely done. If he does prevent it, the same outcome can be expected.
A greater concern is about how this Congress, and the one before it, could not get the nation’s work accomplished in a timely, accurate, and complete manner. For them, political gamesmanship is more important than protecting Americans against terrorists.
Here is a question, “How can Americans best protect themselves against a dysfunctional government?”
A functional pluralistic democratic government must contain representatives who understand that collaboration and consensus are essential to the process. Ideological extremism in the absence of bipartisanship results in failure to perform.
American voters would do well to rid government of extremists, except there is a problem. There are constituencies in America that have become very extreme. The nation is divided.
A story yesterday in Vox news by Ezra Klein asks the question, “Has America become too big?” The article shows a map that divides the country into five equal parts, apportioned by population size, each being the size of the UK.
See the map at this link: http://www.vox.com/2015/5/29/8686781/united-states-united-kingdom-map
Look at the map. If we had five states instead of 50, and if we required that there by 1 male senator and 1 female senator from each of 5, that would be 10 Senators. Furthermore, each part could be divided into 10 equal districts and that would be 50 districts in total. With 1 male and 1 female representative from each district that would be a House of Representatives of 100 representatives. The total size of both chambers of congress would be 110 members. That would be cheaper to operate and more representative.
Furthermore, given the Internet and all, they could work from home.
“NSA surveillance: Obama warns Congress against ‘reckless’ decision
President wants passage of reformist USA Freedom Act
Alan Yuhas in New York
Saturday 30 May 2015 10.09 EDTLast modified on Saturday 30 May 201511.41 EDT
Rand Paul declares surveillance ‘war’ and hints at filibuster for NSA reform
As Rand Paul threatened to “force the expiration of the NSA illegal spy program”,Barack Obama on Saturday made a last-ditch plea to Congress to pass a bill that limits some surveillance powers, saying it would be “irresponsible” and “reckless” to allow such authorities to expire at midnight on Sunday.”
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/30/nsa-surveillance-obama-congress-usa-freedom-act
