Proposition: Amendment to the US Constitution: Members of the House of Represntatives shall be chosen every fourth year by the People of the several states. Members of the Senate shall be chosen every eighth year by the people of the several states. Electors will cast votes for the legislative representatives on the same voting date as that of President of the United States of America. This amendment to commence on the date of the first presidential election following ratification of this amendment where all Members of the House of Representatives shall be chosen and one half of the Members of the Senate shall be chosen. Each Member of the House of Representatives chosen at each presidential election shall serve a term of four consecutive years. Each of the several states shall elect one of its two Members of the Senate at each presidential election and to serve a term of eight consecutive years. Article V of the United States Constitution allows for Amendment. There are currently 27 Amendments with the last ratified in 1992. Rationale: Elections and election politics have become a perennial motif of the media and hence conversation of the United States. Our national elections are held every 2 years and Billions of dollars are spent each election cycle and growing with each. The Business of Elections is pervasive in our culture due to the availability of mass media and social networking. The cost of running for office has skyrocketed and the money spent by Billionaires and special interest groups have taken away from actual issue dialogue. Similarly election politics under the microscope of the video camera leaves us only a string of talking points and slogans instead of actual debate, compromise or solution. The need for funds to orchestrate a bid for national office poisons the well of true dialogue. As elections approach, it becomes harder for office holders to actually govern for need of fund raising and for fear of taking a stand or making a gaff that can hurt the chance for re-election particularly during an election year. It is no more obvious than in the House of Representatives where election years occur every two years. This means that only in the first year of any congress is the act of governing not affected by “Election Year” politics. Of course Presidential aspirants begin electioneering two (sometimes more) years prior to the “Primary Season” and the actual election. As a citizen, I would prefer the careful election of representatives to the legislature that will take the job of governing seriously and will thus be given the time to do just that, govern. In this light, I would propose an Amendment to the US Constitution that allows each House Member a Four Year term and each Senator an Eight Year Term with each state placing one of its two Senators up for re-election during each election cycle. The national election would then be held as a quadrennial election, at the same time as election of the President of the United States. This would reduce by half the number of national elections held and reduce the amount of money needed to hold elections and reduce the amount of unconstructive and divisive spending that saturates the media now every two years. This will not affect anyone’s right of free speech as those with the capital to be heard will still make sure they can be heard. This change may provide for “mid-term elections” to become the dialogue of state and local issues and about local officials without being swept up into the noise of the national debate. If you agree with the idea of such an amendment, please pass this on to your friends and send a copy of the proposed amendment to your legislative representatives, those who have the power to make this into law. The constitution is that document where We The People have given our authority to be governed and such an Amendment is in that spirit. Article V of the Constitution allows for amendment through the actions of the Congress or through actions of the State Legislatures directly, but his would require an even more intense grassroots effort to achieve.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 20:15:38 +0000
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