At the end of every election in recent times, the number one complaint you hear is that there is too much “big money” involved in our elections. These people would argue that this is leading to a decline in our political system and causing fewer citizens to participate in our elections.
I disagree. I think a bigger issue is that the American electorate doesn’t feel like either party, Democratic or Republican, addresses issues of concern to them. In other words, their votes do not matter.
According to the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), a nonpartisan think tank, America has one of the lowest voter-participation rates in the world. In congressional elections globally (1945-2014), the voting age population turnout has averaged 63 percent, while the U.S. average is only 48 percent. For some perspective: Italy is 89 percent, Iceland is 88 percent, Belgium is 85 percent, Australia is 84 percent, and the Netherlands is 82 percent.
Most campaigns run in the U.S. are issueless. In many instances, it is very difficult to distinguish between the two parties because most candidates hide many of their true positions on relevant issues. Voting used to be part of your transition into manhood. It meant you were about to become a contributing member of society.
Those who argue that there is too much money in politics are dead wrong. If this were indeed the case, how do you explain political unknown Dave Brat defeating the former sitting majority leader of the House, Eric Cantor? Mr. Brat spent about $120,000 for the campaign, whereas Mr. Cantor spent almost $5 million.
Mr. Brat actually went door to door to talk with voters in the district, whereas Mr. Cantor ran TV ads. Mr. Brat personally engaged with the voters and made the case that his candidacy was relevant to their lives. That’s the key to a functioning democracy — for the people, by the people, and of the people.
Politicians today are so far removed from their constituents that average people cannot get a scheduled meeting with most of their elected officials; they are, instead, relegated to meeting with a staffer.
So, what is the solution?
We should get back to the concept of the citizen legislator, meaning most of these elective positions should be part-time. There is simply no reason that we need to have members of Congress in Washington full-time. At most, they should be here for 3 months and the rest of the time in the district or state.
Being a member of Congress should not be a full-time job. If they had to work like their constituents, they would not be so far removed from their daily lives and experiences. This would also mean their pay would be for part-time work.
There is absolutely no need for members of Congress to have staff in Washington and in their home state. Committee meetings can be held via videoconference and other high-tech means, thus eliminating the need for many of these staffers.
So, again, money is not the issue with our politics, but rather brining government back to the people on a more localized level. When people feel personally connected to their elected representatives, they will participate in the electoral process.
In the 21st century, our world is moving at the speed of thought, but we are governing at the pace of a snail. Our politics are predicated on a 19th century model and have changed very little since our country’s inception.
Voters no longer feel connected to their government, country or people. Voters tend to move into communities filled with people who think like them. Voters today, in many instances, don’t even know who their neighbors are.
We have become disconnected from each other throughout society; is it any wonder that our voting participation is so low?
As government becomes more localized, you will get more voter participation because it’s much harder to have gridlock when you are constantly seeing your constituents in the grocery store or at the barbershop.
There will definitely be less of a need for pollsters because the elected official will be in constant communication with the best pollster in the country — the American people.
Raynard Jackson is a Republican political consultant, syndicated columnist and author of the book “Writing Wrongs: My Political Journey in Black and Write.” Web: www.raynardjackson.com.
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