How can the laws and/or Constitution be changed so that the government works for the people, instead of the people working for the government?

[Kelley1]

Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth. Abraham Lincoln

Since Lincoln politicians claim they work for the people. However, that is a lie. The politicians don't works for people; the people work for the politicians and those that buy the politicians.

[Datboi65]

I have been saying this for a while now, great that I'm not the only one who thinks this way.

Voting as a solution used to be effective before lobbying got involved. Now you have billionaires legally bribing the government to enact policies that they would like to see, leaving everyone else screwed. Why do politicians take the money? Because campaigns are VERY EXPENSIVE, and also because they are greedy.

To make matters worse, foreign lobbies also influence the foreign policy as well, most notably AIPAC who for some reason REFUSE to register as a foreign entity while working for the interests of Israel.

Since this is a representative democracy, they still need enough votes to win over the Electoral College, but they don't really need your money when they have their billionaire donors. This is what creates the situation of a government that thinks for itself and not the people, since they are financially independent from the common person.

[Kelley1]

You described the situation very well.

[DrPepper12]

Three words: public campaign finance. It would revolutionize out government at all levels. Independent redistricting commissions and 18 year term limits FOR EVERYBODY would too!

[Datboi65]

@DrPepper12 Easier said than done tbh. We're talking about a congress that voted to increase their salaries for crying out loud. I don't think they would implement more accountability.

[DrPepper12]

Yeah I know. The prostitutes will never vote against the pimps...

[TedBr]

Good question, in today’s political landscape there are scary tendencies of eliminating democracy and implementing totalitarian methods to run the country. Things one would not expect from a western country.

[DrPepper12]

Turkey, India, South Africa haven't got that message yet either. Great observation

[TedBr]

No, they were never a lead democracy like the US used to be back in the days. Now parts of the populists in the US are inspired by totalitarians Putin, Erdogan and Orban. Some even invited to their political conventions. Little to hope for.

[Lliam]

The original Constitution is fine. But it was hijacked by the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA corporation of Washington DC. Global bankers took control.

In the early days of our republic, companies were granted corporate status for a limited period of time to complete specific tasks. Then their corporate status was dissolved.
We should return to that policy. But, as it is now, corporations run our government. They are actually more powerful than our government and supersede our original Constitution.

[loveslongnails]

This question is a can of worms that crawls all over the place. The laws we already have "could work" if not for al the corruption in the hearts of men. You may have heard the expression "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely".

Those who are in power don't care about what the people want, or need, so long as they retain their power and the people are basically enslaved on treadmills. You know, another brick in the wall. Plato argued that the "masses" are too ignorant to rule themselves anyway and they need a ruling class, and there is some merit to that argument because rulers tend to keep their subjects uneducated.

Nothing will change until this mindset changes, but as soon as someone says " hey, this doesn't seem fair - what about the workers, the people? -- Well, now you're a Socialist or a Commie.

[DrPepper12]

Great observation!!

[exitseven]

I think having term limits would help things a lot. Having civic leaders serve a couple of terms in government before going back to civilian life is what the founding fathers had in mind when designing the government. Having politicians for life in not what they intended.

[Surely]

From what I understand. The last thing that we should ask for. Is a Constitutional convention to change the constitution. Once the convention is in place. They can change anything that they please! So depending on who is in power. We could loose many things that we take for granted.
Maybe term limits. Age limits. Not allowing huge sums of money paid to politicians giving speeches. Double or more penalties for wrong doing. Remove a lot of the perks.
Social security and every day health care, For all. Not allowed to exempt themselves from bills that they pass. Just so they can feel what the rest of the country has.

[DrPepper12]

That's what terrifies me!! We so DESPERATELY need it but what leaders and issues would it throw up? So we do nothing and it just gets worse and worse from self inflicted wounds cuz we're shackled to the past.

[Kelley1]

That is the argument against change when change is needed.

[Berethor]

Trump did more for the American People than Biden, the Wall is Important for the Future.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_wall

[DrPepper12]

No he didn't.
No it's not.

[DrPepper12]

Throw out the suicide pact Constitution and start again.

[QuietRunner]

The laws should change to cut spending to what is listed in the Constitution. That would be so the government worked for the people and not the other way around

Also cut regulations.

[DrPepper12]

Again that's anachronistic and a recipe for manipulation and decline. Times change, laws and institutions MUST change with it!

[normalice]

They dont need to be changed. They work that way if the American people participate to the full extent the constitution permits. We just don't because we are too busy getting furious at each other over which things we are allowed to call racist.

[Kelley1]

What has never worked in the past will not work in the future.

[normalice]

Easy counterexample is literally any invention.

[DrPepper12]

It's DESIGNED for paralysis!! It's not fit for modern times!

[normalice]

Not for paralysis but for caution. The only alternative to giving everyone an opportunity to chime in, which is a necissarily slow process, is excluding some people from having that opportunity. One person making all the decisions is the fastest government possible, but thats called a dictatorship. Each person involved in the decision making process slows it down and so a government that tries to include everyone in that process is going to be the slowest possible government. That's just the way it is..

[DrPepper12]

It doesn't have to be that way. Inner parliamentary system in majority or the coalition government can act very swiftly. Even in times of national emergency they can form a unity cabinet. It's just a fact that our constitution is an anachronistic relic

[DJB72]

The same way George Washington sent the message to King George...

[DrPepper12]

No. That's NOT the way.

[DJB72]

Ok. The way the French did with Louis and Marie-Antoinette and Cromwell did with Charles I?

Study your history. Washington and company petitioned the King multiple times for a very long time before the War of Independence. None of the US Founding Fathers actually wanted to break away from Great Britain. The war was the last desperate action of the Colonies, not the first.

[DrPepper12]

Why be violent when other methods?

[DJB72]

Eventually when dealing with a narcissistic government you run out of options.

When they are more focussed on indoctrination than the vocalised will of the majority they're bordering on fascism in behaviour.

Chamberlain hated the idea of war. Hitler backed him into a corner he couldn't get out of without engaging in the bloodiest conflict since the Flood.

On a personal note, I was bullied from the age of five until I was 17. It stopped after 12 years when I finally turned round and beat the bully so badly it took 3 people to drag me off him. I ran out of non-violent ways to tell him and the other bullies it was time to stop.

Pacifism just gets you slaughtered.

[DrPepper12]

No one suggested pasificism. Organization. Education. Public opposition displays. There are ways.

Public campaign finance will exorcise a lot of demons in one stroke!

[DJB72]

Ultimately, unfortunately, be it physical or intellectual a war will be fought. And at this time with the way things are, sadly a physical war looks more likely...

[jahaims]

Only allow politicians to make money from their salary and make it performance based.

[DrPepper12]

No. It's unworkable and subjective for performance based. Only one job is a fantastic idea!