And to the republic

Americans are very proud to live in democracy and love to claim that this is a free country and the best in the world. When it suits them, they don't hesitate to cite the Constitution, of which they display a mostly superficial understanding. Whereas they are in some ways correct, most do not understand exactly how our particular democracy works. 

So, here's what one needs to know: On the national level, all eligible citizens may vote for president and vice president, in the executive branch, and senators and representatives, in the legislative branch. In these elections, each vote counts, and winners are determined by who receives the most votes (for Congress) and electoral votes (for president). Voters decide their votes based on who, they believe, shares their values and can effectively represent them. Emphasis on represent. 

Once elected, our representatives do their best to write, pass and modify laws, which then go to the president for approval or veto. And here' where some people are confused: We the people do not get to vote on each item being legislated; that's the job of our representatives. There is good reason for this: Legislation requires a complex process, which has to be learned and mastered by legislators. They, in turn, have paid staff to research and summarize all aspects of a piece of proposed legislation by asking such questions as: Is a bill passable? What are the fiscal (financial) implications? Will it generate its own funding or depend on the federal budget? Does it conflict with other existing or pending laws? Will it pass muster if it is challenged in court? A legislator needs all of this information prior to deciding how to vote. The intent of a law may be great, but it may be poorly crafted; it may be unaffordable or even inconsistent with the constitution. 

Most people are busy with lives, jobs, families and friends and do not have the time or resources (or desire, for that matter) to explore the details of every proposed bill; that's why they elect people to do that for them. People need to trust the legislators for whom they voted and whose job it is to represent their interests. Whereas the public can weigh in as to the spirit or intent of a law, they don't know the particulars of the process or the bill well enough to demand how our representatives vote or to threaten to replace them if they disagree. 

In turn, it is up to the legislators to explain the reasons for his or her vote. Ultimately, if voters, over time, don't like or accept the explanations given by their representatives, they need to vote for new representation at the next election.

Today, sad to say, the airwaves are full of self-described experts or activists who tell voters to call their legislators and demand that they vote a certain way "or else." These so-called experts have clear agendas, and their intentions may even be good. However, telling one's representatives how to vote actually violates the design and intent of the constitution; if voters were meant to participate directly in every vote in Congress, there would be no need for a legislative branch of government. 

Another wrinkle is that there are states, like California, who allow citizens to propose propositions on issues that they care about and, with enough public support, those propositions become eligible to be on the ballot and then are voted up or down during the next election. This sounds great, since it appears to exemplify grass-roots, one-person-one-vote democracy. Unfortunately, it is anti-constitutional in that the process bypasses state legislators and unethical in that it often deludes people into voting based on emotion rather than fact. Again, passage of a law which sounds great to the voters without deep knowledge of the details leads to chaos when it puts legislators into the impossible position of having to enact a poorly-constructed, non-fundable, or legally untenable law which will ultimately be put on hold and then thrown out. 

As much as we all like to think of ourselves as reasonable and well-informed citizens, unless and until we have the time and resources to dig down and fully analyze all proposed laws, we need to let our elected officials do their jobs and represent us like they're supposed to .  

Stay tuned