Transforming Public Service: Accountability, Integrity, and the Honor of Serving the People
In a true democracy, the government must serve the people, not the other way around. We entrust our elected officials with immense power and responsibility, but that trust is not unconditional. Those in positions of authority must be held to the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability. When they fail to meet those standards or abuse their power, the public deserves a direct say in the consequences.
But democracy shouldn't just be about punishing bad behavior - it should be about empowering citizens as active participants in shaping our collective future. That's why we propose a fundamental transformation in how we think about the role of the citizen in governance.
At the heart of this transformation would be a system of mandatory quarterly votes on the most important issues brought to public attention. Every three months, citizens would have the opportunity and obligation to vote directly on the matters that most impact their lives, from major policy decisions to accountability for public officials. This regular exercise in direct democracy would ensure that the people's voices are always heard.
But for this system to work, we must invest heavily in enabling informed public participation. Instead of relying on others to review information and make decisions on our behalf, we should directly compensate citizens for the time and effort they put into being active stewards of our democracy.
This could take the form of paying people to attend public forums, research issues, and cast informed votes. Those who are currently unemployed or underemployed could earn a living wage by dedicating themselves to civic participation. By making active citizenship a viable career path, we could tap into a wealth of diverse perspectives and experiences that are currently excluded from our democratic process.
Alongside this investment in citizen empowerment, we must hold public officials to the highest ethical standards. During their tenure, all extra income earned by officials or their immediate family members, beyond their public salary, should be surrendered to the public treasury. In return, they would receive generous pensions tied to their achievements in office, as judged by the public through the quarterly votes.
Radical transparency must undergird all of these efforts. The financial dealings, conflicts of interest, and decision-making of public officials should be an open book. Independent oversight bodies, accountable to the public, must be empowered to investigate suspected wrongdoing. And the quarterly votes would provide a regular check on performance, with the public having the ultimate power to remove those who fail to serve the public interest.
Realizing this vision will require a shift in mindset and a willingness to experiment with bold new forms of democratic engagement. It will require us to see democracy not as a spectator sport, but as a participatory endeavor that we all have a stake in.
But the potential rewards are immense. By empowering citizens as informed and compensated stewards of the public good, we can tap into a wealth of collective wisdom and creativity. By holding public officials to the highest standards of integrity and accountability, we can restore trust in our democratic institutions. And by enshrining the public interest as the highest aim of governance, we can build a society that truly works for everyone.
The power to create this change lies in our hands. We the people must demand a democracy that is truly of, by, and for us. We must be willing to invest in our own capacity as citizens, and to hold our leaders accountable at every turn.
The time has come for a new era of citizen-powered democracy, where the true measure of success is the flourishing of all people. Let us rise to this challenge, and write the next chapter of our democratic story together. The future of our society depends on it.
Norman, this country was set up as a Republic, #1. and #2, "we" do not have a government, and reforming criminals is not about to happen. Voting in false elections is just a game of distraction