Democratic Reform Is Coming

The numbers of Americans who feel that we as a nation are headed in the wrong direction, or that we're in a very serious crisis, are worse than during Watergate. At the same time, our president has achieved a record low job approval (tied with Harry Truman and Richard Nixon) and Congress's approval hovers between 9 and 12 percent. Americans tell us they want a problem-solver, someone who can build consensus, is a competent manager, and has strong personal values.

As a result, this election will usher in one of the few years of genuine reform. If we look at American history over the last hundred years, dramatic reform took place in only seven of those years. In 1913-1914, Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom created the beginnings of progressive change--an attempt, in part, to undermine the reform-minded Bull Moose candidate, former president Theodore Roosevelt. In 1933-1936, Franklin Roosevelt ushered in a comprehensive New Deal because he correctly sensed that the United States was at a point of political rebellion. In 1964-1965, Lyndon Johnson responded to race riots by launching his Great Society programs to fight poverty and racism.

So what's at stake now? Let's look at some numbers. In 1992, 92 million voters showed up at the polls to make their choice for president. By 2004, the number of voters reached nearly 123 million. In this election, we're projecting 132 million to 135 million voters--many of them, of course, first-time voting young people and minorities. These are voters with very high expectations. They demand action on the environment, health care, pension reform, energy independence and, of course, the economy.

Our next president won't want his name attached to inaction or failure that would dampen those high expectations.

What direction will his changes go in? It is truly hard to say. There's really very little consensus on the specifics, though actions like government spending for alternative energy and the creation of green-collar jobs have strong support across the board. But this is not a time to worry about specifics. Franklin Roosevelt did not campaign on a New Deal agenda; the New Deal actually was a patchwork of trial-and-error efforts after Roosevelt assumed office. In the final analysis, the new president will have to read the election results, build a consensus--both on Capitol Hill and among the general public--and forge ahead.

There is a risk: the American system of government itself, and how it operates today. It has been nearly half a century since Johnson's reforms, and many of his "fixes" sprung from the need for basic human fairness--that is, they were easy for Americans to support. In a way, it was a case of government leaders finally catching up with their followers, the public at large.

And those reforms came when there really was a consensus for the most part in Washington. Johnson had just come off one of the most dramatic presidential election landslides in modern times. After a career as a leader in Congress where he exercised the levers of power like few others, he knew that his administration and Congress would either succeed together, or fail together.

They succeeded--until the Vietnam War triggered another wave of disillusionment. But the point is, they had a window of time for sweeping reform, and they took advantage of it.

The politics of Washington and the problems facing our country are very different today. They're more complicated, more nuanced, with more vested political interests behind every position on every issue. Enemies are made with every decision, and the Internet permanently logs every offense. Disagreements are no longer washed away with an after-hours off-the-record drink at a Washington watering hole.

Which sounds pessimistic, but it simply means this: Our next president must find a new way to succeed in Washington, to make the politics of Washington work so that the government can again be a catalyst for good, not an obstacle in the way. Washington has become known as an us-versus-them bubble, but it can no longer afford such a mentality.

This is the change Americans tells me they want. Here's hoping they get it, for the sake of us all.

This column appears in the November 2008 edition of Politics Magazine.

Comments

[gwpriester]

I would like to know why the Zogby poll has been so out of line in McCain's favor than any of the other polls which show Obama with a good lead. One very recent Zogby poll showed McCain ahead.

What does Zogby know that the other polls don't? Or vice versa?

[leftcoastindy]

Not for the last 4 or 5 days.

[dressey]

As an outside observer of American politics i truly hope that most Americans will make the correct decision tomorrow and vote for true change in the american system and vote for Obama. it is astounding that the American public have allowed 8 years of Republican rule go unchecked and unpunished.One of the fundamental problems with American politics in general is the inability to separate church and state. The corruption­,hypocrisy and bigotry that have enveloped the Republican Party will be how the administration of george Bush is defined. Closet homosexual politicians, cheating family men.... the list is endless. Republicans need to get over themselves and realise the world has moved forward and they can choose to be a part of this forward momentum or get lost in the mountains of the Bible Belt.

[Drachir]

The US system of government will be most difficult to reform Almost every Senator and Congressman will resist any change in the status quo primarily because the present system works for those who are already in power. In addition, those that the current system has benefited; the very rich; large corporations; and well financed vocal minorities will not want any changes that will diminish their power. That being said, here are a few suggestions:
1. Change the way campaigns are financed. Democracy should not be all about who has the most
money.
2. Get rid of the state by state voting for president. A simple majority or plurality of the vote is more
democratic and will eliminate the possibility of the fiasco that got G. W. Bush elected in 2000.
3. Extend the term for members of the House of Representatives to four years. The current two year
term results in members focusing on governing only for one year and then campaigning for
reelection the second year.
4. Bring in proportional representation to encourage the development of third or even fourth parties.
A two party system results in the two parties becoming so much alike that they cannot possibly
represent all the points of view that exist in the United States.
5. Adopt a common system for the marking of ballots. Currently every state has its own system and
this can result in some confusion in a society in which movement from one state to the other is
common.

[hippynanainblingland]

6. Either get rid of voting machines or make them government property.
· * They should be safely stored in between elections.
· * The proprietary problem should be eliminated: the owner (the government) should be
able to check them out and re-program them before each election. We should be careful
about who we entrust to do this programming, and there should be strict oversight.
Maybe it could be done by teams, members of which would/could represent all
parties with a stake in the election.
* There should be enough machines to cover x number of voters each, and be deployed, free
of charge, to each polling place in sufficient numbers to prevent long waiting lines, and in
proportion to the numbers of expected voters at each polling place.
* They should provide a paper trail. Ballots (hopefully standard throughout the land) could
have a tear off section that the voter could take home, validated by the machine, showing how
the voter voted.
* Ballots could be filled at home and presented to the machine for reading. This would cut
down the time at the polling place.

[hippynanainblingland]

6. Either get rid of voting machines or make them government property.

� * They should be safely stored in between elections.

� * The proprietary problem should be eliminated: the owner (the government) should be
able to check them out and re-program them before each election. We should be careful
about who we entrust to do this programming, and there should be strict oversight.
Maybe it could be done by teams, members of which would/could represent all
parties with a stake in the election.

* There should be enough machines to cover x number of voters each, and be deployed, free
of charge, to each polling place in sufficient numbers to prevent long waiting lines, and in
proportion to the numbers of expected voters at each polling place.

* They should provide a paper trail. Ballots (hopefully standard throughout the land) could
have a tear off section that the voter could take home, validated by the machine, showing how
the voter voted.

* Ballots could be filled at home and presented to the machine for reading. This would cut
down the time at the polling place.

to the moderators: why are you refusing to let my comment through? how is this comment either offensive or unacceptable?

[USAFree1]

William1950: Yeah dude!

[framingtheissues]

If Senator Obama wins and the Democrats pick up seats in Congress, things will certainly be better than a Republican victory. But real progressive change will only come when alot of us take the time to think about (and articulate) what we each really want, then reach out to others to form coalitions around our common interest, and then make it clear that our future votes depend on Congressional and Executive action on our requests. If voters sit back after the election is over, and hope the government will do what's best; the vacuum will be filled by the entrenched interest that have set agendas and shaped opinions in the past.

[paixa3]

You bsed your improvement assessment upon what?? Reid and Pelosi are INEFFECTIVE people, no matter who controls congress.

Remember 'impeachment is off the table'. ? That was one of the biggest mistakes of all time in congress.

[outlive]

I remember being in the caucas in my State back in the primaries. We had to say what our number one issue was and I said "ethics in government". I was not alone. The longer this campaign goes on, the more I realize that I was more right than I ever thought. I heard Sen. Obama tell John Stewart that he was not disillusioned at the increasingly sad state of our country in recent weeks, that instead, it is in such a time that change can actually happen. But even more importantly, perhaps it is in this darkest place before the dawn that we might find ourselves imagining both - steering the country into a healthier place in terms of domestic and foreign policy, and also being ready and able to find a healthier direction for the ethical well being of our government.

[tbone99]

#1 on the agenda - get residents of Washington D.C voting rights.! They are citizens, they pay taxes . they deserve to be treated as such!

[STILJON]

There is only one thing anyone should be saying in these comments. GO VOTE!!! The polls mean nothing unless everyone votes. Give one day if it takes that and work for our future by voting for Senator Obama and he will continue to spend every day working for you. The polls are so wide in large part because of new voters. It’s up to all of us to stand in line for as long as it takes and vote. This is the largest effort ever to bring in new voters so if you don’t vote you will permanently prove the belief that first time voters do not go to the polls and ensure your concerns are never pursued or listened to again. Make this time different. You could finally change the landscape of the electorate and force your ideas to be considered, expanding policies beyond the base of both parties. Every single vote counts and we cannot afford to wake up Wednesday and find out democrats lost by only a few votes again, because we thought it would be a blowout. Let’s make it a landslide and prove the polls right!! Everyone take a day and change the world!!! VOTE!!!!!!!!

[ajax2]

"... so that the government can again be a catalyst for good, not an obstacle in the way..."

GW Bush was not a conservative in the small government, Goldwater sense. In most ways GW did not use government as an obstacle, but rather as an active agent for expanding the military industrial complex. The worry that Eisenhower warned of, became a living nightmare under GW Bush.

[certainot]

the talk radio monopoly with the coordinated uncontested repetition to 60MIL from 1000 stations it allows makes real democracy and bipartisanship much more difficult. the ability to fill the radio airwaves with GOP propaganda 24/7 in places where there are no alternatives, and blowhards like limbaugh and hannity can lie repeatedly about progressive candidates and causes and threaten politicians and media without ever having to take a real unscreened call is unAmerican to it's core. there must be some way to provide balance on radio and reform media in general or the same republican disaster we've been going through will continue. talk radio is the key.

[Celtchief]

Well yes,
Clearly talk radio has caused McCain to be winning the election. There is no way Obama can win, with all that talk radio out there. I mean, with the house, senate and the exec branch all about to be under the dems control, clearly conservative talk radio has done a great job.

Wow. I mean, I can understand complaining about this stuff when you are losing, but when you are winning? Dems are going to have control of the government for at least 2 years, and if they hope to stay in charge, they need to be gracious in victory. If they punish republicans it will violate the moderates sense of fairplay and they will side with the repubs.

So, you have the power, use it wisely.

[William1950]

in three parts... sorry..

Why I am voting for Barack Hussein Obama:
This country is in need of a major transformation. And while I doubt that even Obama will make the change I deem necessary it is my belief that he will help. I know that no politician is perfect and yes, I too have some doubts about some of Obama's stated policies I know that I am scared scared scared of McCain and even more scared of Sara Palin, and Palin is important because McCain is - lets face it - seventy two years old. God help us all if she becomes our leader by default.

[William1950]

The middle class in this country has been hurt by having our jobs shipped overseas, first and foremost. I'll say it again, and most of the writers and pundits and reporters don't get this because they simply make too much money to understand it... The middle class has been hurt first and foremost by having our jobs shipped overseas. The gap between the middle class and the so called upper class is greater than at any time in our history. Think about what that means, and they try to tell us that the economy is great, and that we only have to work harder to succeed; it is our own fault that we don't earn enough to pay for insurance for our kids; that we have to choose between eating and paying for the light bill this month; that we can't afford to buy gas to get to the second job that we have to work; that we have our kids at some cut rate babysitter so that we can afford to buy them shoes this month.. It's our fault. It's our fault that we can't afford the recommended checkup at the clinic and instead use the damn emergency room for when the kids have a fever in the middle of the night. And then I listen to the divide between Americans apparent on the radio every day and wonder what happened to the pride we all felt as Americans once.

[William1950]

Obama promises to me to want to help bring us together as Americans... as Americans... not to be the ideal man for the left or the right, but to help us to be ONE country again. McCain only appeals to the hatred and the division. That is why I am voting for Barack Obama Tuesday.
Thank You