Vote Like Me

      AFTERWORD

CHAPTER 1

PIECES OF A PUZZLE

The purpose of this book is to motivate and inspire voters to work together toward the goal of advancing great ideas, productive ideas that will guarantee the continued political, social, and economic superiority of the United States. It creates a picture of the current condition of our nation and pieces together the factors that prevent politicians from promoting positive change; it will show why no amount of drive or leadership by elected officials can reverse the negative forces acting on our society. It will demonstrate why only voters have the power to lead our nation and will lay out a blueprint to make this happen.

Each chapter is designed to cover a specific factor of this equation. The chapters do not provide a complete discussion of each topic, only an outline of the key points as they relate to this book’s purpose. Each chapter is part of an assembly, a piece of a puzzle, designed to build a new perspective and to inspire action.

While each chapter is as short and succinct as possible, it still may not be necessary to read the full chapter. Chapters have been written in a way that the most important details will always be on the first page and, when possible, in the first paragraph. The moment a reader feels comfortable with the point being made, he or she is welcome to jump ahead to the next chapter. Nothing will be lost by quickly skimming to the end. This book seeks to unite individuals who are beginners as well as experts; information on later pages of a chapter is only meant to support the point that was already made.

This book is written for those who can sense the urgent need to correct the political, social, and economic dysfunction that exists today; it is for those who believe in the power of an open democracy and a free market to move us forward and to bring necessary positive changes to our nation. The flaws that exist today can easily be solved through our democratic process, a process that was established when our founders forged our nation. This book outlines a simple, commonsense solution that will move our political system and our nation in a positive direction.

CHAPTER 2

SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

Most Americans are satisfied with the structure of our democracy; they know how this system works and they have seen the outcome. But in the earlier days of our country, Americans could not draw from this experience; they needed faith. They needed to believe this vision of equality and justice was possible. And for this to happen, they needed to understand this vision. It is impossible to believe in something you do not understand. And while it would have been reasonable to place certain limitations or restrictions on rights such as speech or assembly, our nation’s founders instead made these rights absolute. Our founders made their vision the most powerful by presenting it as a clear and simple vision. And even though there are flaws in this simplicity, there is greater power in a system that the majority can understand.

It is always possible to make things more complicated, to use expansive wording, to create more conditions, to add various layers, alternates, and exceptions; this is easy. True power exists in clarity. There is nothing more powerful than Thou shall not kill, All men are created equal, or the proclamation that we are all born with an inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This clarity united a nation toward a single goal, a common purpose. Simple, clear, powerful statements are the core of our successful American democracy.

All people, from childhood to adulthood, have an innate understanding of right and wrong; we all understand fairness. This is universal. The original vision of our nation, one where everyone was considered equal, where everyone was represented, where everyone was given a right to trial by an impartial jury of peers, was a vision that everyone could embrace. And even though many times this vision of equality has not been fulfilled, the fact that we, as a nation, are always striving for this simple, clear vision of equality and fairness is enough to keep even the most neglected among us on the same path. Even in our moments of inequality, we are certain we live in the fairest and most equitable nation in the world.

In contrast, complex systems and bureaucracies are frequently the cause of lost ambition and lackluster motivation. Whenever we are faced with a seemingly or intentionally complicated system, we feel discomfort and dissatisfaction; we feel a sense that the system is set up to benefit others at our expense. The more complex the system, the greater our feeling that we are not being treated fairly. This is healthy; when a person purchases a product or service that they do not understand, they always feel they are paying too much; people who do not understand automobiles always fear the salesperson at an auto dealer or the auto mechanic; people who do not understand home repair always fear calling an electrician or plumber.

When large corporations have a complex accounting methodology, they will always use this to hide the truth. Financial fraud is always hidden in complex layers of financial management. People who seek to manipulate, or gain an otherwise unfair advantage, will always use complexity. When government creates programs, tax systems, or bureaucracies that are too complex to be understood by the voting public, this will always be the source of government waste, mismanagement, and fraud.

When all of the people of our nation share in a vision, that vision is the strongest. Simple ideas create unity, and within this unity is power. Our country has flourished for 240 years because we all know our system is both fair and equitable. In our daily lives, we have a sense of acceptance, of both our successes and our shortcomings, because we know we live in a community where we are all living by the same rules, that we all are given the same opportunity. This simple vision of a democracy that strives for true equality is the very core of our success.

CHAPTER 3

STABLE, UNSTABLE, AND NEUTRAL

EQUILIBRIUM

It is obvious that a set of clear, broad rights set the framework for the growth of our great country. These simple ideas were embraced by our nation and demanded of our leaders. It is only because any politician who acts against our rights is swiftly removed from office that these rights have persisted. This is the way our country stays in balance; this is stability; this is the self-correcting nature of our democracy.

The balance of power in our democracy is a stable balance, a stable equilibrium; it continuously moves to find the middle. By giving everyone the right to vote, the right to access information, and the right to share and express ideas in any way we choose, our founders ensured that our election process would always move our representation back to center. If information were limited, then this representation would be skewed to the left or right. But, in the United States, there is no central control of the media; there is no director or committee responsible for planning our society or choosing who will represent the people of our nation. It is the people, through regularly scheduled elections, who choose their representatives. If politicians or political parties act against the collective wishes of the people, they will not survive the next election cycle.

When an object or system is in balance, all of the forces acting on the object are equal; the forces are said to be in equilibrium. In nature, there are three primary (fundamental) ways an object can be in balance: stable, unstable, and neutral. This concept is commonplace in all areas of our society. Products that we use, especially the features we rely on for our safety, are always designed to maintain a stable balance. Cars are designed with a natural tendency to drive straight; airplanes have a natural tendency to fly level.

Our local economies also exist in a stable balance. If we look at our local restaurants, we see how the number and types of restaurants always self-correct to meet the needs of the community. If the wait for a table is too long at most restaurants, an investor will inevitably open a new restaurant to meet the needs of the community. Existing restaurants also routinely change the menu or décor, or sometimes completely reinvent themselves, to match changing tastes. There is no government agency or committee directing this change; this stable, self-correcting response occurs automatically through what Adam Smith called the Invisible Hand of a free market economy.

Stability is also prevalent throughout nature. For example, the population of deer in a forest exists in a stable balance. If the population becomes too large during the spring and summer, there will be a shortage of food in the colder months and more won't survive the winter (reducing the population). If their numbers are low, there will be plenty of food for more to survive and reproduce. Other mechanisms also act on this population; a large population of deer in a specific region will attract a large number of predators (and hunters). Or, when this population continues to grow, it can reach a point of overcrowding where a natural tendency toward sickness and disease will reduce the herd. And while all of these factors exist in a dynamic balance where there is always movement, there is constant pressure or a constant tendency toward the middle, toward maintaining the optimum population.

In evaluating our democracy and our economy, this book will look at these systems from the view of the type of balance that exists within each system. It will seek to determine whether the current system is stable, unstable, or neutral and will consider the benefits of shifting toward a different form of balance.

CHAPTER 4

E PLURIBUS UNUM, OUT OF MANY ONE

Democracy, our system of government where the people decide the direction of our nation, has been proven to be the most stable and effective form of governance. By giving democratic rights and power to all the people of our country, our nation’s founders cemented the rise and success of America. This demonstrates that the collective belief, the consensus, of an informed population is the best determinant of the optimum direction to advance our nation.

The core of democracy, the power of this form of government, exists in the power of each individual. It is our freedom to express our ideas (our freedom of speech and freedom of the press) and our right to join together and be represented as a group (our right to assemble). It is these rights to share our ideas, to assemble people with similar views, and to speak out in any way we choose that form the very core of this American Power. This right, this ability to influence and decide the direction of our nation, which is granted equally to all people, gives us a sense of ownership in the direction of our nation; this is our country.

What makes this system even more remarkable is that our democracy is effective even when the majority of voters is misinformed or unqualified to make the important decisions related to running a country. Through elections, voters routinely influence decisions regarding public health, war and defense, and economics even though very few have ever studied or even read a book about these important subjects. This system still works because, when the electorate is composed of a very large number of people, the decisions made by unqualified voters tend to cancel out as an equal number will vote for an issue as will vote against it, nullifying most of the effect. It is only because good ideas will have