Shifting into a true democracy: 10 Steps to Take
The United States is actually a republic, with pretensions of democracy. As we hit firewall after firewall that prevent democracy from flourishing, it should become apparent that we need to change our form of government to become more democratic.
Abolish the electoral college. The basic principle of democracies is that each person has one vote. The electoral college undermines that principle.
Expand the Supreme Court and set term limits. Those who have considered this measure seem to think that an 18-year term would make more sense than a lifetime.
Set term and age limits for Representatives and Senators, as well as the president. Also require training in managing large budgets for newly elected politicians.
Hold online votes on some legislation. People get to vote directly to pass or say no to certain bills. This could be integrated into a program to educate the citizenry fully in their responsibilities as voters.
Train women into progressively more substantial leadership positions, recognizing that their voice has been underrepresented in Congress.
Hold public forums to debate and discuss issues. These could be online or in person, for citizens to act as advisors and to engage more fully in the political process. Establish more citizen advisory councils with experts and members from diverse backgrounds.
Allow former inmates in prisons to vote after they have served their sentence.
Expand the number of Senators to be more directly proportionate to the population of their state.
Allow Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico to become states.
End the fillibuster. Also reexamine the rules of procedure in both the House and Senate to serve democracy better.
Read Abigail Bassett’s article, “The Steps America Can Take to Become More Democratic”. https://www.shondaland.com/act/news-politics/a34602141/steps-america-can-take-to-become-more-democratic/
She writes more fully on many of the action steps that I’ve listed here.