Editor’s note: First in a series on proposed reforms to build a better democracy in Chattanooga, in Tennessee and beyond.
With the deep polarization among the American public, there are few, if any, points of agreement between the liberal and conservative camps when it comes to the state of our politics and what the future of this nation should be. But if there is any consensus to be found, it is the unfortunate fact that an increasing amount of Americans are dissatisfied with the trajectory of our democracy.
Of course, especially in a country as polarized ours, there are varying reasons for this distaste for government. Even still, there are some flaws in our democracy most can acknowledge: the undue influence of power-hungry billionaires; intense gerrymandering at the local, state and federal levels; overreaching state governments; and the consolidation of power under the singular thumb of the president, among many other anti-democratic trends.
To address any of this, it will take comprehensive political reform — a reimagining of how we conduct politics, a restructuring of how we establish the laws and norms that govern us all.
Throughout this series, we will point to potential reforms that can help restore faith in government and our communities. Unfortunately, however, many of these changes will remain politically out of reach until Congress stops abdicating its responsibilities to the other two branches and reasserts the awesome power it is granted in the Constitution.