Our Representative Democracy

Our Representative Democracy

                With the countdown to the 2016 national and state election upon us, I question if those who complain about the “establishment” or the “system” or the legislative process even try to understand how a bill becomes law or why there are committee hearings or what a legislative aide really does.

                Many of us had a Civics class or at least a long unit on how our national government works with the three branches: executive, legislative, judicial.  Perhaps we should have to pass a brief test about those branches before voting.  Or a major network, whether ABC, CNN, PBS, air a mini-series on how a bill does or does not become law.   I know I need reminding how complicated the process is:   writing a bill and getting it out of committee before it’s debated on the floor, amended, and tabled or voted on.  There is pressure from constituents, lobbyists, fellow legislators – all who want to influence each Senator or Congressman’s vote. 

                In addition, there is the practice of compromise….or was the practice of compromise.  The bill’s author agrees to amendments or agrees to vote for another bill in order to get support for his/her own bill.  Will the constituents understand the need for compromise or will we just complain that nothing ever gets done in the Capitol?  Is it really that we don’t get the exact laws that we want?  The varying political beliefs, values, stances cannot all be successfully supported every time.

                In addition, the term limit idea remains out there.  I have questions for two areas here: how long does it take a Senator to understand how the legislative system works and how to effectively use that system?  Two terms for a total of twelve years?  And then, does it take six re-elections for a Congressman to do the same for a total of twelve years?   Think of the time spent on elections.

Moreover, don’t forget the knowledge and experience the lobbyists have.  A rooky legislator could be overrun by a lobbyist.  Do we want rooky Congressmen every two or four years dealing with lobbyists with two decades of knowledge and experience?

                It’s just too easy to complain without stopping to think about the process and its complexity.  Working in Congress is difficult and time-consuming.  The numerous “tugs” on our representatives’ sleeves can help or hinder, but the electorate should be educated (or re-educated) about the legislative process.