Politipickle

This is my political hat.

It is exceedingly rare that I put on such a hat. Generally, I have been content to let political matters run their course. I have claimed, with expansive and self-contented modesty, that I really don’t know what is best for our country, and that I would rather focus on what is more important and tangible, that is, the state of my more immediate community. On the other hand, I uneasily suspected, and was told from time to time that, for all that, citizenship is an important duty.

What a pickle.

Well, at some point in last semester, we read a few portions of The Federalist, and while reading Number 10 by Madison (whom I like better as a person than the other two, incidentally), I came across what might be the answer to my pickle. (This is where I put on the hat.) I also came to the conclusion that most American citizens are thinking about their elected representatives all wrong.

Most people choose to vote for a candidate based on how closely the two of them agree on various specific issues. They are certain that the general objective z is imperative to the well-being of the country, that z will be lost without the accomplishment of the goal y, and further that measure x is the best way to accomplish y. In short, they determine how they themselves wish to run the government. They then do what they can to elect a finger-puppet, who will dutifully try to do it for them.

There are a lot of problems with this, most of which are familiar to us all. In the first place, even supposing z to be so very important, the workings of a nation and of history are so convoluted that it takes a great deal of observation and deliberation to be able to say with any amount of confidence that y really will be conducive to z. Then there are exponentially more difficulties in determining that x will indeed accomplish y, and in a way still conducive to z.

And then of course there are the problems with the people. We’ve all groaned about people saying whatever it takes to get elected, and then doing their own thing. A subtler evil, and perhaps a worse one, is when the candidate does exactly what he or she was elected to do. That is, (it is usually) he religiously pursues measure x, and others like it, but without perhaps a great deal of care for y, let alone z.  Such a representative has little reason to attempt dialogue and compromise with those who oppose measure x, regardless of how closely they may align with the overall goal of z. Vision is discarded and cooperation crippled, in favor of an aggressive and pointless dogmatism.

All right, enough of this teasing. What is this great truth you have found in the ancient national scripture, you ask me skeptically, which will alter the order of things and bring us salvation?

Good gracious, I say, turning a little red. I didn’t mean to—that is—

Get on with it, you say, and check your watches. (I can hardly blame you, we’re past 500 words already.)

Well, supposing we elected people based on their ability, rather than based on their resemblances to ourselves? Intelligence, integrity, resolution, all difficult things to find, but certainly a good deal more difficult if you require them to be found within the very limited set of people who think the same things you do. Supposing we elect representatives who know what they’re doing, and let them govern the country, instead of trying, ineffectively, to do it ourselves?

I wouldn’t have thought this was such a novel idea, except that I had to explain it to my seminar class. “Here,” I said, “let me read you a passage.” And I read them this:

The effect of the [delegation of the government to representatives] is, on the one hand, to refine and enlarge the public views, by passing them through the medium of a chosen body of citizens, whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country, and whose patriotism and love of justice will be least likely to sacrifice it to temporary or partial considerations.

Of course Madison goes on to describe the possible dangers of such a system, that is, of unscrupulous people who “first obtain the suffrages, and then abandon the interests, of the people,” as previously mentioned. Which is what we see all the time. Which is still going to happen sometimes even if we do focus on trying to elect folks with wisdom, patriotism, and love of justice. What do you think happens if we don’t even try?