I think I know how to fix our political system - PublicServiceBook

I think I know how to fix our political system.

The primary thing wrong with our current political system is that our primary selection criteria is money. It’s not about your ideas, your talents, or your morals, or your character, it’s about how much money you can generate in order to out-propagandize your opponents. Because money is the driving force, it opens the gates for people with lots of money to control the process which is why almost all of our politicians are owned, controlled or corrupt. My solution inverts the pyramid of power and visibility. Instead of the government having tools and legal methods to spy on us, we have the tools and methods to spy on them! Instead of politicians being our “leaders”, public servants are our servants.

My solution is extremely simple.

1. There can be no secrets kept from the people - they are the boss.
2. We throw away the term ‘politician’ and replace it with the term ‘public servant’.
3. We create “Public Servant Book” - a “facebook” for public servants, lobbyists (if we decide they can even exist), corporations, etc.
4. The only way to be a public servant is to register for PSB.
5. PSB registration is free, but part of registration is a binding agreement to be a moral, transparent servant of the people of US and to the constitution. You essentially agree that your life is completely public record while you are in elected positions. This selects a completely different class of people to “govern” us: folks with nothing to hide that really want to serve.
6. Each public servant’s PSB page is a dossier of that person’s public servant life including all votes, all meetings, speeches, writings, donations, stock holdings, taxes, travels, positions on topics, feedback, etc. Their religion is NOT mentioned.
7. PSB is a public servant’s ONLY method of communicating with its electorate during campaign time. Each candidate is allowed an identical very small budget to get their message across via their PSB page.
8. Implement voter ID - which requires a mandatory but free semester course on civics and political science (pretty much like we do for drivers licenses).
9. Use only paper balloting. We simply cannot trust any electronic system, maybe ever.

Let's mold this into something usable.

a reply to: Sahasrara

Now you're thinking. You'd like how Costa Rica does things. And "Consensual Taxation".

a reply to: Sahasrara

Honestly, aside from some financial reform for the campaigning system.... There is only one real fix.

On a good day we have 50%~ of the population voting for president, much lower numbers for smaller elections (typically).

Of that, how many are truly educated on current events, and not parroting from MSM-entertainment-reality "news"?

We can't hold people accountable until the populace is well informed, and more importantly gives a flying Fk.

No healthy (republic) democracy can exist if the people expect it to run itself. Meaning, the two parties essentially pick which puppet we get to "choose".

Just want to add end income taxes. Make due from a fixed sales tax and focus on protecting prosperity.

..or do what they were actually created for before molesting the Constitution into a giant wealth resistribution scheme.

There's a lot to be said for an open and transparent election, as with the UK where the amount of money spent is capped, and donors are revealed. While there is the occasional abuse, this is normally found and people are prosecuted and fined.

UK example

It is shocking the amount of money a US election costs. It removes the ability of anyone except the most rich, or those with very rich friends, to stand for election. Of curse, the problem is that donors expect something in return, so any candidate comes into office with debts to pay. Not good for democracy.

Also in the UK, Members of Parliament have to declare their income and interests. It's all pretty open. MPs interests

Your number 9 point is at odds with your number 3 point.


Who builds and maintains this "PSB"?

a reply to: Sahasrara

I think that's a neat idea. Unfortunately, history shows us that any power structure will be subverted by "them".

Dismantling it altogether, while being pleasing for a moment, might let the next worst guy/girl take over.

I think we're caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. We're not meant to be happy here.

a reply to: AScrubWhoDied

PSB doesn't run the election - just provides the forum for knowing our leaders.

Step 1 is making voting a privilege, not a right. Everyone should not be able to vote. I support having a basic civics test. We give a civics test to immigrants who become US citizens. We should do the same for voting. Allowing people to vote who can't even name three branches of government is how we get ditzy congresswomen elected who can't name the three branches of government.

Step 2 is hard term limits. No one should be a professional politician. Three terms of congress (6 years). 2 terms for the senate (12).

Step 3 is finance reform. There needs to be complete transparency as to who is funding campaigns and political action committees.

Step 4 is tax reform. We need to simplify tax code so that politicians can't use it to dole out favors.

a reply to: Sahasrara

I've been thinking of ways, like this to make the government a better place without thinking of one key issue.

The lands that we call the United States of America do not belong to us. They belong to the native peoples who were here first. I say screw the system and give the land back to the tribes to do with as they please.

In a perfect world this is how it would work. Great thread, let's see where it goes.

originally posted by: AScrubWhoDied
Your number 9 point is at odds with your number 3 point.


Who builds and maintains this "PSB"?

We the people. This strategy would offer jobs worth doing. No more wizards behind curtains.

originally posted by: Sahasrara
I think I know how to fix our political system.

The primary thing wrong with our current political system is that our primary selection criteria is money. It’s not about your ideas, your talents, or your morals, or your character, it’s about how much money you can generate in order to out-propagandize your opponents. Because money is the driving force, it opens the gates for people with lots of money to control the process which is why almost all of our politicians are owned, controlled or corrupt. My solution inverts the pyramid of power and visibility. Instead of the government having tools and legal methods to spy on us, we have the tools and methods to spy on them! Instead of politicians being our “leaders”, public servants are our servants.

My solution is extremely simple.

1. There can be no secrets kept from the people - they are the boss.
2. We throw away the term ‘politician’ and replace it with the term ‘public servant’.
3. We create “Public Servant Book” - a “facebook” for public servants, lobbyists (if we decide they can even exist), corporations, etc.
4. The only way to be a public servant is to register for PSB.
5. PSB registration is free, but part of registration is a binding agreement to be a moral, transparent servant of the people of US and to the constitution. You essentially agree that your life is completely public record while you are in elected positions. This selects a completely different class of people to “govern” us: folks with nothing to hide that really want to serve.
6. Each public servant’s PSB page is a dossier of that person’s public servant life including all votes, all meetings, speeches, writings, donations, stock holdings, taxes, travels, positions on topics, feedback, etc. Their religion is NOT mentioned.
7. PSB is a public servant’s ONLY method of communicating with its electorate during campaign time. Each candidate is allowed an identical very small budget to get their message across via their PSB page.
8. Implement voter ID - which requires a mandatory but free semester course on civics and political science (pretty much like we do for drivers licenses).
9. Use only paper balloting. We simply cannot trust any electronic system, maybe ever.

Let's mold this into something usable.

Love that instead of just complaining about the problem you are providing a solution!

Yes we all know the system is garbage but how do we fix it? I dun know.

Thanks Sahasrara!

a reply to: Sahasrara

I like it.

There ought to be a section on PS's pages where signed and sworn oaths of office can be viewed in multiple formats.


Would the general public be able to post to members' walls? Could get very messy, there would have to be protocols.

a reply to: teapot

Definitely would be difficult to provide a feedback system that didn't turn into ugly comments sections or a weird social credit system.... let's figure that out...

a reply to: Sahasrara


Nice idea, but it's never gonna happen there champ!


About the only thing that will eliminate the corruption in DC is a giant meteor, zombie apocalypse, or alien invasion.


And alien invasion is "iffy" at best.

originally posted by: Edumakated
Step 1 is making voting a privilege, not a right. Everyone should not be able to vote. I support having a basic civics test. We give a civics test to immigrants who become US citizens. We should do the same for voting. Allowing people to vote who can't even name three branches of government is how we get ditzy congresswomen elected who can't name the three branches of government.

Step 2 is hard term limits. No one should be a professional politician. Three terms of congress (6 years). 2 terms for the senate (12).

Step 3 is finance reform. There needs to be complete transparency as to who is funding campaigns and political action committees.

Step 4 is tax reform. We need to simplify tax code so that politicians can't use it to dole out favors.

I agree with these. I think one thing that might happen if we adopt a system like I propose is that we won't need campaign finance reform because there are no longer campaigns as we now know them. With all the candidates information in a vetted, independent site, there's really not much else to see/know about them - so why would they need to campaign? They would have an extremely small (goverment provided?) budget to make a few videos for their page, state their case on the issues, that's it. Elections would literally be a day off where everyone is given time to read the pages for the candidates, the issues, and vote. We don't need talking heads on news stations, political parties to choose who to choose, etc...

a reply to: DBCowboy

Not really directed right at you, but I keep thinking... If you all want to know why there is corruption in our government there is a very specific person to blame - go look in the mirror.

That person in the mirror keeps voting in the same incumbents, that person in the mirror keeps voting the way their union tells them to, that person in the mirror keeps forgetting how many times politicians sell us out, and then vote them in again because it's the only name they're familiar with.

a reply to: Sahasrara





The person in the mirror and I both agree that the system has been set up where we DON'T get to vote for who WE want, we get to vote for the CHOICES THEY OFFER US.

See the difference?

a reply to: Sahasrara

I have made similar comments so of course I like the direction you are going with this. We need to restore the Servant in "Public Servant". I think removing a few privacies from those who choose a life of service would be a step in the right direction.

I have also been tossing around an idea of putting a cap on wealth, or maybe just limits on how it can be used, or something to offset the huge income and wealth disparity. A select group of people have an undue influence and power over the others. And this is not just bad for the commoners, but breeds mental illnesses in the elite, it is not good for them to have this power, it is bad for their development, their progress in growing as a person is stunted.

And as another person said, the people need to be informed. That could solve everything by itself and most of these other fixes wouldn't even be necessary. Hardly anything useful or important is being taught in school, and in fact, harmful behaviors and habits are taught and reinforced, and the social environment is absolutely toxic, the parents are completely taken out of the equation, and the destruction of the parental bond is encouraged. It's almost like Western Civilization is under attack.