Forum Post: Causes and Solutions, part II

We can do this by harnessing the power of the internet. The internet will be the great equalizer, unless we wait until it is taken away from us in its current form. Even the internet, the bastion of free speech, instant communication, and infinite knowledge, is not safe from the powers that be. We need a forum on the internet to pick viable alternative candidates. This is not an original idea; in fact, there is an organization, Americans Elect, with the stated goal of finding an alternative candidate for the 2012 presidential election. However, they are doing it all wrong. First, they want to pick their candidate from the ranks of current and former Democratic and Republican elected officials. The ticket must contain a Democrat and a Republican as to appeal to the center. Second, they don’t want to disclose their donors. I, personally, will not support a political organization that is not completely transparent. Lastly, they want to start at the top, with the president instead of at the local level. The best intentioned president will accomplish nothing without help from Congress. The system I propose will consist of a website that serves as a source of information on your currently elected officials at all levels of government. Provide your address and the site will provide complete voting records, a summary of all legislation voted on, and a place where your representatives can explain why they chose to vote a particular way. It will be layered so that you get a quick summary before voting or you can do hours of research on each candidate. The site will provide a forum for voters to interact directly with their representatives, individually through messaging and collectively through polling. The site will serve as a polling station, where constituents can not only vote on candidates but on specific issues and legislation. In short, it would provide a much more direct democracy than what exists today. Instead of starting at the highest level of government, it will start at the lowest. Candidates will not be politicians, at first, but experts in law, economics, and public policy that have distinguished themselves outside of politics. They will be first and foremost, problem-solvers. As such, the quantity and quality of the legislation they produce will be as important as their voting records. They will have to start at the local level, seeking election on city councils and as mayors. Then, after proving themselves at the local level, they can seek election in state congresses or governorships. Finally, when they have proven their competency as a lawmaker, they can move on to the Senate, House of Representatives, or even the presidency. All along the way, they will not have to raise a single penny. Their campaign will consist of video and documents found on the site, as well as any interviews and debates in which they choose to participate. Their staff will consist of volunteers from academia and the public at large. Because the electorate will have a voice, this idea will appeal to those throughout the political spectrum, and the candidates should be able to compete with the established parties in the general election. The end result will be elected officials that know the will of the people, are beholden to the will of the people, and are focused on finding solutions to the most pressing concerns of our communities, states, nation, and the world.
While this all sounds good, there are many details left that I have not addressed. There are the issues of internet security, voter identification, the layout of the site, the different ways to represent the different branches of government, designation as a political party or some other kind of non-profit, and access for those without internet. Also, in what cities and municipalities will it debut? I believe that these and all other problems can be addressed. The Occupy movement has brilliant people with amazing organizational skills and technical ability. They will figure it out. It also has sympathizers with deep pockets who could help with the start-up expenses. The Occupy movement has been criticized for not making concrete demands. I think the power of the movement is not in the change it will demand but in the change it will create. It has the potential to facilitate fundamental changes to our political system, and society in general, in ways no other organization can. Now that is change I can believe in.