dtucker300 wrote:
The House of Representatives represents the people. A complete turnover every two years. The Senate is a more deliberative body and is not supposed to succumb to the knee jerk reactions of factionalism. Only 1/3 of the Senate is elected every two years. There is more continuity within the Senate because 2/3 of the Senators do not have to run for re-election every two years. But the Senate was supposed to represent the States to balance the factions; not to be popularly elected. Passage of the 17th Amendment was a Progressive idea to increase direct democracy. Direct Democracy doesn't work on a large scale. Eventually. people will vote themselves benefits with no way to pay for them. As a wise person once said, "Democracy is two wolves and a sheep arguing about what to have for dinner." What happens once the wolves eat the sheep? This is where we are headed with the socialist Democratic candidates running for President. We have been moving in this direction ever since the passage of the 17th Amendment.
Just as we have three branches for the separation of powers The legislature had to have its separation of powers because it is possibly the strongest branch, but also most susceptible to the whims of the undisciplined. If both houses are elected by popular vote, why have an electoral college? The EC was to prevent tyranny by a majority over the minority. To allow states to have equal representation regardless of their size. We have sublimated those safeguards that the founders established by electing Senators through a popular vote. They are no longer accountable to the States. The states have given more and more power to the Federal Government which in turn has grown so big that bureaucracies within have become self-regulating entities answerable to no one; not the Legislature, the President, nor the Courts. They have been given free rein by the legislative acts that created them, so as to administer, create their own rules and adjudicate their own disputes. SCOTUS Justice Kavanaugh is an expert in administrative law. This is one of the reasons he was selected and the progressives fought so strongly against his confirmation. The bureaucrats don't want to give up their power. Especially the holdovers from the Obama administration. Trump stands in their way and they will do anything to bring him down. "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" - Lord Acton
This, to me, is not a completely satisfactory answer. It is late, and I am tired, therefore, I can't direct you to any links. But there have been several discussions on OPP about the prudence of the Electoral College. Maybe tomorrow or Monday after the Super Bowl is over I will have more time to adequately answer.
The House of Representatives represents the people... (
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Yours is a wonderful assessment of the situation. That is where we are today. I agree that the year 1913 was a disaster for America. We need to get rid of the 16th also. The question I am addressing is, "What is the mechanism that ran over us?" Point #1 The Legislative powers here in listed, (Constitutional Spheres) are Raise Revenue, Order, Resolve, and Vote. The last three equal the Thought Process. The first gives the capacity to pay for things. All Executive powers reside in the President. Those are research, select, buy, store, distribute, assemble, operate, and etc. Jefferson confirmed this in his letter to Madison 1789 from Paris. He said, 'This would go well with what we have already put into the document. I'm thinking of where we took the power to declare War from the Executive and gave it to the Legislative Branch, from those that can Spend; to those who can pay'. So, in Jefferson's mind Spending is separate from Paying. Congress is to Pay. But, Congress is made up of Politicians, and they have needs. Reelection requires popularity and funding. Both can be acquired by controlling Spending. My daddy claims he was in the room when Congress came to the White House in about 1936 or 7 and said, 'Mister FDR sir, We want you to get ready for war, so you figure out what you need to do and you do it. You have our permission. And, if you need anything, you just tell us and we will get it for you.' That sound very cooperative, but it gives Congress the power to determine who gets government contracts, and it gives the President the ability to set the agenda and then implement it. I can not imagine that the founding fathers would have thought it a good idea to have 5340 thumbs and fingers in the revenue pie. That is where the 22 Trillion worth of debt came from. (Read Washington's Farewell of 1796 Point 26)
Point #2 The above discussion shows that Politicians trying to get reelected are the problem. My second proposal is to get rid of Politicians. Do this by each person, or other entity, describes itself to the Government by hiring group or organization to represent them. So, how would that work? How would you describe yourself? Well, there is what do you think, what do you do, and who are your people. (Internal Thought, External Efforts, and Extended Associations) I thought that was the list and that that would replace the House of Representatives, but then I realized that we all have Needs. We need clean air, clean water, We need enough work to do, and a fair court system, and etc. Well that is what local Government does. The Sewer District, the EPA, Osha, Infrastructure, whatever, that is local Government. That is basically what the Senate was supposed to be. So that addresses the 17th Amendment problem.