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For a number of years, I’ve been educating courses on the Academy of Lifelong Studying at Cape Cod Neighborhood Faculty. This system gives 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 classes. Right here was an opportunity to debate politics with educated seniors with lifetimes of expertise and reflection.
Every of us agreed to come back to our ultimate class with concepts for bettering 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, nevertheless, have been the one optimist within the room about how properly our electoral system will survive with a lot integrity left to it.
Why, in any case, would company donors and particular pursuits half with their money in the event that they weren’t moderately assured they have been going to get their cash’s value? 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 folks insisted there needs to be time period limits for all public workplaces.
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Suzanne wished there was some solution to assure that individuals operating for workplace have been ethical folks, not pushed by self-interest. We bought some good dialogue on that one, making an attempt to make clear how we’d know an ethical particular person once we noticed one. In the long run, all people wished 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 properly? Understandably, this was a tough query for a room full of senior residents. We did not get resounding assist for that concept, but it surely 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 concept of ranked alternative voting may enchantment to the group. The system may appeal to extra curiosity if extra Individuals understood the concept higher. In some methods, we’ve tended to love the less complicated winner-takes-all strategy, regardless that as presently arrange, our electoral course of tends to favor extra excessive candidates. Despite the fact that the group most well-liked extra centrist politicians, it remained a tricky promote.
Bob apprehensive that huge bureaucracies — trustworthy or not — are inclined to frustrate the favored will. Sandra tell us she didn’t belief the federal authorities to deal with primarily something, not to mention publicly financed elections. The category had combined 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 instantaneous supply to tens of millions — poses probably the most harmful threats to our democratic course of.
Over a number of classes, the concept of a obligatory 2 years of nationwide service for all 18-year-olds continued to have broad enchantment. Presumably, pupil loans might be linked to this concept, so willingness to show, do social work or medical work in rural or inner-city settings may get their pupil loans paid off. (It’s notably troublesome for academics and social staff to repay their faculty loans with the salaries being provided in the present day.)
We had a great dialogue about how our economic system has shifted over the previous few a long time 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 couple of 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 trustworthy 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, nevertheless momentary, suggests the quantity of labor it may take for Individuals to un-polarize themselves. We now have loads of work to do and never an entire lot of time left to do it. Little teams like ours across the nation are proving that it is attainable to take America to a brighter place. However our politics and our media have grow to be dangerously polarized and narcissistic. God assist us if we resolve that we prefer it that method.
Lawrence Brown is a columnist for the Cape Cod Occasions. E mail him at columnresponse@gmail.com.
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