“There seem to be two voter groups in America. The prosperous elites who live on the East and West coasts are inclined to hang on to the status quo; after all, they have the most to lose by any disruption. The heartland wants change.”. – Try Common Sense
In the adage of the Elephant and the Rope, we learned how conditioning limited the power of a mighty animal. The elephant, when it was young, was tethered by a small rope tied to its leg and held in place by a small stake in the ground. Chained since birth, the constant tug of the rope around the ankle keeps the elephant detained. Since it no longer believes it can break free, the elephant grows into adulthood, disempowered by a tiny rope that has psychologically bound it from birth. But the moral for today’s story isn’t about the manipulation and control over a single animal. It is how an expanding government, voter apathy, and a public largely sated by one entitlement after another, have convinced Americans that they are powerless to affect change.
Approval for Congress hit a new low of 19 percent in July 2023, as Americans continued their disdain of the political institution. Rife with corruption and division, neither party has attempted to reform themselves or their platforms to address their citizens’ dismay. Instead of progress, politicians are content to play their parts in the great political theater of the day. With no coherent vision for the future, it is the goal of most politicians to get elected, stay elected, and then rise to higher office.
In Philip K. Howard’s 2019 book, “Try Common Sense”, Howard proposes an end to the disorder in Washington and the impotent political system by implementing a new philosophy of governing centered on accountability and responsibility. By focusing on the common good for the people, and not the government, Howard suggests empowering elected officials to once again make decisions in the best interest of the public. Then by repealing obsolete programs and regulations, the government can be simplified to work for the benefit of all.
The recent origin of unaccountability in government can be traced, in part, to the 1978 Civil Rights Reform Act. By expanding collective bargaining for federal employees, a privilege they initially received under President Kennedy in 1962, their entitlements became greater than their fiduciary responsibilities to the public. By partnering with government officials in a swap of money for power, unions have made politicians subservient to them, and not to the citizenry who voted them in. This has become the business of Washington, a town that has become immune from any responsibility for its actions or outcomes.
Public officials' capability for governing ended when rules and regulations replaced human judgment, no longer allowing for independent decision-making. This governing principle of correctness, where compliance with the rules ensured that every decision was predetermined, bureaucrats were no longer judged by their productivity, but rather by their obedience to a rulebook. Then when their duties to the public became less significant, politicians and bureaucrats became less liable for adverse results.
And, with a government devoid of market constraints, there is little to no concern for resource limits, economies of scale, competing choices, or even the possibility of failure. Yet, the government remains whether it is effective or not, with budgets virtually unlimited in scope, that grow with each cycle, guaranteeing continued waste and abuse. Without trade-offs, hard decisions, and trial and error, there is little need or desire to be cautious with the people’s purse.
To shift the paradigm, we must reprogram Americans to reject the system as it is. Legislation must be passed based on outcomes, not intent. Officials must have quantifiable responsibilities that can be judged by their superiors and the voters, with decision-making prioritized over simply complying with rules and regulations. Then by transferring power to the local governing bodies, including social institutions like churches and charities, we can begin to overhaul a system that has spun out of control.
The government quagmire continues at our own peril and with our own acceptance. Nothing is likely to change without our intervention. By rejecting the idea that the status quo is unchangeable, we can begin to return the government to the people, by the people, and for the people.
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