Americans are asked by Gallup pollsters once a month whether they approve of the U.S. Congress as an institution, and each month they voice feelings of strong disapproval. Once a year, though, Gallup tests the public’s “confidence” in Congress – as compared to the confidence it has in various other public institutions.
That data was released this month, and Congress scored a record low 10 percent – three points weaker than its 2012 performance.
Once again, Congress was the lowest-rated of all American institutions (the fourth year in a row that’s been the case) – and the lowest-rated institution since Gallup began asking the public confidence question back in 1973. Congressional confidence four decades ago was 42 percent. Ten years ago it was 30 percent.
Also, disdain for Congress is shared equally by Democrats, “Republicans” and independents.
Obviously this precipitous plunge is of little concern to most members of Congress – who are secure in the knowledge that just enough of their constituents approve of them personally, if not their institution. That’s not surprising either considering the extent to which most congressional districts have been gerrymandered – to say nothing of the extent to which the American electorate has been dumbed down/ distracted. And so the beat goes on … America hates its Congress, but most of them are willing to tolerate their representative.
Dysfunctional “democracy” marches onward …
***
44 comments
We live in a nation in which our congressional
representatives are bought and sold by moneyed interests. The fault lies with
the voters. Our problems stem from the creation and perpetuation of a
professional political class who see elected office as a job, not as public
service. Such office holders operate in a climate where success in the next
election is crucial, a principled stand on the issues is secondary, and how to
obtain more money is supreme. The citizens have the power to stop this, but
they keep electing and re-electing the same malefactors. How do we stop it? Go
to the core of the problem — money! Eliminate the influence of money in
politics. Allow candidates to rise or fall based on their stands on public
issues. Limit campaigns to 90 days. Ban all corporate and private political
contributions and institute public funding of campaigns. Make it illegal for
any person or organization to give money to anyone holding public office. Make
it illegal for anyone holding public office to take money from any individual
or organization. Corruption and cronyism are inherent in our current political
culture and we need uncompromising efforts to stamp it out!
I concur with some of your points, but not what appears to be your premise…voting is the mechanism to control public official. This premise isn’t founded on understanding the root cause of government corruption. The root cause is the individual conduct of politicians in overreaching, which itself is fostered by citizen failure to take any action to hold any individual politician personally accountable for his/her specific conduct.
Citizen voting is impotent as a means to limit abuse of gov power. Citizens do have the power to stop corruption. Most citizens forget gov powers to fight corruption belong to us. We created them for the express purpose of giving ourselves the tools to redress politicians. OURSELVES. Including the powers of the court to redress abuses. To paraphrase Henry Ford, whether we think we’re powerless victims of gov abuse, or we think we’re in charge, we’re right.
Also, politicians don’t see their position as jobs. Jobs require specified performance to explicitly defined job standards (in this instance, our rules of laws), job performance reviews by the Boss on the subordinate’s operational compliance, with sub performance or violation thereof resulting in warnings, Boss remediation, and termination. Politicians freely admit they ignore laws on the books as they choose, they enact themselves nepotistic protections for self dealings that violate balance of powers. They don’t use their position for job objectives that serve the public business, they use it to pursue their private objectives.
I don’t follow your argument.
In our system, the voting booth is the way to hold elected officials
accountable for their actions (or lack thereof) – unless you’re talking about impeachment
of individual malefactors or revolutionary action against the government
itself. When politicians overreach, “We
the People” need to rein them in at the voting booth. This doesn’t happen now because the present
system perpetuates an ignorant, uninformed and passive electorate and moneyed
interests fund the continuation of business as usual. The voters have been seduced by “bread and
circuses.” The powers to stop specific
acts of corruption rest mostly in the judicial branch which, unfortunately in
SC, is highly politicized. If you
disagree with the idea that voters are responsible for the accountability of
office holders, then who is? You stated:
“Most citizens forget gov powers to fight corruption belong to us. We created
them for the express purpose of giving ourselves the tools to redress
politicians.” Which powers and how do citizens
use them?
Glad for the dialogue Manray9.
Here’s excellent info on how Judiciary powers belong to us – a course taught by a retired lawyer who never lost a case, here https://www.jurisdictionary.com. He also gives specific, direct
instructions on how to use these powers.
My assertion that voting can’t impose accountability on politicians, is irrelevant to who has command responsibility to do so. I advocate ‘self’ has actionable responsibility to ‘self govern and must INDIVIDUALLY impose personal accountability on specific subordinate servants – or citizen authority to self govern will atrophy out of existence.
We are born with unalienable authority to rule ourselves -aka our right to be free from being ruled by someone else’s will. This power isn’t granted by group action, and it can’t be changed, limited, modified, or curtailed, by man or the will of any group no matter how big. It is inherent and INDIVIDUAL. This authority is still somewhat embodied in our rules for self governing – our law.
When a politician violates certain of our laws, s/he violates each citizen’s inherent INDIVIDUAL authority in those laws. It’s a violation against each of us individually. Remember, because our right to self rule doesn’t come from groups, it stands alone. Any of us (depending upon ‘standing’, elements, etc, – see Jurisdictionary) can use the powers of the courts, INDIVIDUALLY, to redress the servants who usurp our individual right to self govern.
Voting someone in, or out, of office relies on the will of a group, or collectivism. No individual citizen is holding anyone accountable for anything.
We DON”T need a group to protect us, and we AREN’T individually helpless and powerless without a group, although, most citizens consent to be.
Because most do, citizen individual power in this country, to protect against abuse of gov power (said protections embodied in our laws) is weak and flabby from little use.
Sovereignty of branches was CREATED by citizens. We have authority of creator over the entities we created. We NEVER created these branches so they could operate autonomously and create themselves powers to bend us to the group will of servants.
WE own it all. EVERY LAW is OURS. WE pay servants to create, enact, administrate, and enforce these laws. On our behalf.
The fact that the SC Judiciary and legal profession is nepotistic, corrupt and violates balance of powers, can’t justify our obligation as owners and creators of the branch, to step in with ownership authority and command. Individually, each of us have let these branches operate autonomously. Individually, each of us have stood by and let them do their own, or no, operations management. Individually, each of us let them set op objectives in secret, by their whim.
We can’t now reign them in by ‘group’ power – they are far stronger than us. We have to awaken our flabby little used sleeping power – individual right to self govern.
We live in a nation in which our congressional
representatives are bought and sold by moneyed interests. The fault lies with
the voters. Our problems stem from the creation and perpetuation of a
professional political class who see elected office as a job, not as public
service. Such office holders operate in a climate where success in the next
election is crucial, a principled stand on the issues is secondary, and how to
obtain more money is supreme. The citizens have the power to stop this, but
they keep electing and re-electing the same malefactors. How do we stop it? Go
to the core of the problem — money! Eliminate the influence of money in
politics. Allow candidates to rise or fall based on their stands on public
issues. Limit campaigns to 90 days. Ban all corporate and private political
contributions and institute public funding of campaigns. Make it illegal for
any person or organization to give money to anyone holding public office. Make
it illegal for anyone holding public office to take money from any individual
or organization. Corruption and cronyism are inherent in our current political
culture and we need uncompromising efforts to stamp it out!
I concur with some of your points, but not what appears to be your premise…voting is the mechanism to control public official. This premise isn’t founded on understanding the root cause of government corruption. The root cause is the individual conduct of politicians in overreaching, which itself is fostered by citizen failure to take any action to hold any individual politician personally accountable for his/her specific conduct.
Citizen voting is impotent as a means to limit abuse of gov power. Citizens do have the power to stop corruption. Most citizens forget gov powers to fight corruption belong to us. We created them for the express purpose of giving ourselves the tools to redress politicians. OURSELVES. Including the powers of the court to redress abuses. To paraphrase Henry Ford, whether we think we’re powerless victims of gov abuse, or we think we’re in charge, we’re right.
Also, politicians don’t see their position as jobs. Jobs require specified performance to explicitly defined job standards (in this instance, our rules of laws), job performance reviews by the Boss on the subordinate’s operational compliance, with sub performance or violation thereof resulting in warnings, Boss remediation, and termination. Politicians freely admit they ignore laws on the books as they choose, they enact themselves nepotistic protections for self dealings that violate balance of powers. They don’t use their position for job objectives that serve the public business, they use it to pursue their private objectives.
I don’t follow your argument.
In our system, the voting booth is the way to hold elected officials
accountable for their actions (or lack thereof) – unless you’re talking about impeachment
of individual malefactors or revolutionary action against the government
itself. When politicians overreach, “We
the People” need to rein them in at the voting booth. This doesn’t happen now because the present
system perpetuates an ignorant, uninformed and passive electorate and moneyed
interests fund the continuation of business as usual. The voters have been seduced by “bread and
circuses.” The powers to stop specific
acts of corruption rest mostly in the judicial branch which, unfortunately in
SC, is highly politicized. If you
disagree with the idea that voters are responsible for the accountability of
office holders, then who is? You stated:
“Most citizens forget gov powers to fight corruption belong to us. We created
them for the express purpose of giving ourselves the tools to redress
politicians.” Which powers and how do citizens
use them?
Glad for the dialogue Manray9.
Here’s excellent info on how Judiciary powers belong to us – a course taught by a retired lawyer who never lost a case, here https://www.jurisdictionary.com. He also gives specific, direct
instructions on how to use these powers.
My assertion that voting can’t impose accountability on politicians, is irrelevant to who has command responsibility to do so. I advocate ‘self’ has actionable responsibility to ‘self govern and must INDIVIDUALLY impose personal accountability on specific subordinate servants – or citizen authority to self govern will atrophy out of existence.
We are born with unalienable authority to rule ourselves -aka our right to be free from being ruled by someone else’s will. This power isn’t granted by group action, and it can’t be changed, limited, modified, or curtailed, by man or the will of any group no matter how big. It is inherent and INDIVIDUAL. This authority is still somewhat embodied in our rules for self governing – our law.
When a politician violates certain of our laws, it’s a violation against each of us individually. Remember, because our right to self rule doesn’t come from groups, it stands alone. Any of us (depending upon ‘standing’, elements, etc, – see Jurisdictionary) can use the powers of the courts, INDIVIDUALLY, to redress the servants who usurp our individual right to self govern.
Voting someone in, or out, of office relies on the will of a group, or collectivism. No individual citizen is holding anyone accountable for anything.
We DON”T need a group to protect us from servants, and we AREN’T individually helpless and powerless without a group, although, most citizens consent to be.
Because most do, citizen individual power in this country, to protect against abuse of gov power (said protections embodied in our laws) is weak and flabby from little use.
Sovereignty of branches was CREATED by citizens. We have authority of creator over the entities we created. We NEVER created these branches so they could operate autonomously and create themselves powers to bend us to the group will of servants.
WE own it all. EVERY LAW is OURS. WE pay servants to create, enact, administrate, and enforce these laws. On our behalf.
The fact that the SC Judiciary and legal profession is nepotistic, corrupt and violates balance of powers, can’t justify our obligation as owners and creators of the branch, to step in with ownership authority and command. Individually, each of us have let these branches operate autonomously. Individually, each of us have stood by and let them do their own, or no, operations management. Individually, each of us let them set op objectives in secret, by their whim.
We can’t now reign them in by ‘group’ power – they are far stronger than us in using it. We have to awaken our flabby little used sleeping power – individual right to self govern.
America hates its Congress, but most of them are willing to tolerate their representative.
Bingo. The glorious part is that people can take part in keeping absolute trash in Congress, but blame the sad state of affairs on all the other congressmen. And, of course, the people who are sellouts or absolute clods need only say what their constituents want to hear to get reelected.
There’s only a handful of congressmen that are worth a damn, a few in both parties.
America hates its Congress, but most of them are willing to tolerate their representative.
Bingo. The glorious part is that people can take part in keeping absolute trash in Congress, but blame the sad state of affairs on all the other congressmen. And, of course, the people who are sellouts or absolute clods need only say what their constituents want to hear to get reelected.
There’s only a handful of congressmen that are worth a damn, a few in both parties.
We just need to INCREASE GOP numbers in the House…and hope Obama has blown if for the Senate..and maybe we cna begin to turn back some of the Horrible Obama $#!* in 2014..
But What the Lockstep idiots-like FITS- don’t get…is that a NATIONAL poll on Congress is WORTHLESS.
The media just plays this crap up, to compare the numbers to Obama, especially as the corruption is catching up to him…
Congressional seats are won w/ the smallest amount of a biased, leftwing media for a federal office….
The leftist media can sway a presidential election (as they did)..and that can help in the Senate, because those are statewide, and easier to control by the media, too…
Congressmen and Woman are THE CLOSEST to the people…and have more control of the message…
Just Keep BASHING the LIVING $#!* out of Obama (Trey Gowdy or Joe “You Lie” Wilson) and the people will send you back over and over…Sanford was 1,000 Percent AGAINST Obama, and it paid off for him…
Those 10 percent numbers mean nothing, other than to get the dumb@$$#$, like FITS, and his imbeciles, hopeful that Obama has not screwed the pooch…
These 10 percent approval numbers mean nothing, except to the ignorant…
Shut up you goddamn fool. The GOP is dying.
It’s alive enough to be beating the F*#k out of Obama right now…And I expect that will make it even stronger after 2014…
It needs to be alive enough to get more than rednecks and rich old fucks voting.
You think you’ll be able to incorporate enough cheaters, jihadists, men-haters and baby-killers to repalce all the Bitter-Racist “Revenge” voters you had in 2012, to put Obama over the top???
Well, bitter old man. I know it’s going to take more than dumbass conserative white men to “get ‘er done…”
Obama called his grandmother who raised him, A TYPICAL WHITE Woman. Rev. Wright said (GD) America deserved to be attacked on 911.
You must be one ignorant puppet, to buy that, and call other people bitter, because the DNC tells you to…
I could give a fuck if he called her white devil…still doesn’t change the fact conserative Republicans are not going to get (woo) women or minorities to vote fot them. You guys are a fucking joke to us.
Yes, clearly more GOP leaders like this guy would be great: https://www.fitsnews.com/2013/06/15/john-boehner-this-explains-a-lot/
Whoever it is: no matter how deficient, if he/she is not a democrat, he/she looks like a saint and a Patriot compared to the extremely flawed and corrupt Obama (who you routinely suck off)….
Yes, let’s vote blindly based on party only. Great idea. I believe that’s what’s called a low-info voter.
That’s how they do it in SC anyway. Funny place y’all have here.
You sound like some Stupid son of a B!*ch from one of those bankrupt states, or maybe the defunct Rust Belt…A real genius…
NC, and yes, we have our share of idiots too. Enjoy your corrupt sandpit..
Didn’t yall elect John Edwards…????…Classy :)….
Didn’t y’all elect Sanford and Haley? Sanford? Really? At least the people of NC would never put Edwars back in any office.
Political parties have a platform…your’s advocates baby-killing, high taxes, racial hatred and hand-outs…Dumb@$$…
If the GOP was not holding its ground, based on party doctrine, to some degree in the US House (and in the SC General Assembly) we would not be slapping the $#!* out of Obama at all…
As it is: I can see the possibility of toppling Obama’s kingdom if we keep knocking the living S#!8 out of him at every turn…
Who I routinely suck off? Been reading Penthouse Forum again as inspiration for your posts?
He/she has developed a strong interest in porn – you’ve got that right.
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
Thomas Jefferson
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
Thomas Jefferson
I’m confused….why do we complain about the sorry asses in Congress when we’re the one’s who put them there?Don’t even make the excuse that “they change their tunes after election”,because we don’t care and put them right back into their ass warmed seats. They’re dumb,but we’re dumber.
I’m confused….why do we complain about the sorry asses in Congress when we’re the one’s who put them there?Don’t even make the excuse that “they change their tunes after election”,because we don’t care and put them right back into their ass warmed seats. They’re dumb,but we’re dumber.