Effective Government will Need Three Things:
1. It will require a free and appropriate press, one that is unencumbered by media buys and marketing departments. A free press must be engaged in research, issues and fact reporting.
Sensational journalism making its way into attack blogs and irrelevant smear campaigns must be held accountable to the same credible journalistic standards as other media.
2. Citizen leadership is needed on every level of governance. A well-educated citizenry has been the cornerstone of our democracy since its inception.
Modern marketing ploys require a well-educated voting public who are not easily fooled or “hoodwinked” by political marketers.
3. There is a need for qualified people of character to serve in elective office. Ideally, qualified candidates have experience from the private sector, embrace term limits and chose to return home after public service.
Power, despite what some would have you think, is not reserved for the heavily financed political-machine candidates, who too often sit in the front rows in our state and federal capitols. Real Republican forms of democracies derive from the people who elect representatives to speak and act for them in public office.
Leading from the back row—from its seating assignments to controlled behavior by front-row elites—takes us closer to the “belly of the beast” of American politics and the clash between insider and outsider politics. Insiders have their own agenda, usually charged with political moves that are guaranteed to advance their political careers. Outsiders come from the real world and often find themselves tipping the front row insiders so that they can get the peoples’ work done.
Effective government is more possible than you may think. It is my hope that by the end of this book, you’ll be inspired to demand more of your local, state and national government officials. Change is needed. Change is possible. And change is something you can become a part of.
CHAPTER SUMMARY
The front row of the legislative hall is both a metaphor and literal place of power. Bills can be shut down or moved forward by the “front row” contingent. A new, effective government requires a free press, citizen leadership and qualified candidates to serve the citizens…To continue reading this book, get your copy of “What Sex is a Republican” in paperback or Kindle edition on Amazon.