Recently we read a Mark Steyn column on General Flynn where he trotted out a criticism he's made about American politics for some time. He writes:
Third, as longtime readers, listeners and viewers know, I strongly dislike the uniquely American "presidential transition" period. As you know, in, say, the Westminster system, if a prime minister loses on a Thursday, his goes to the Palace to resign on the Friday, and he moves out of Downing Street on the weekend. The new cabinet ministers are in place the following Monday or Tuesday. The "transition" is part of the general institutional sclerosis of Washington, and certainly no friend to swamp-drainers...We used to show this clip to our class. The students didn't get it.
There's really nothing to be done about the presidential transition as that is constitutionally directed. Heck, the inauguration used to to March 20th until they changed it in the 1930's.
Anyhoo here's three tweaks and changes to the American political system.
Three Terms: Right now the constitution limits the president to two terms. One of the consequences is 'lame-duckism' in the second term. Halfway through its hard for the president to get anything done. Second terms are always disastrous. Just ask LBJ, Nixon, W., heck, even Reagan. Add a third term.
Congressional Term Limits: We've gone back and forth on this for decades, but seeing congress in recent year has convinced us of the necessity of term limits. Senator Dianne Feinstein is 84. Congressman John Conyers is 88. Strom Thurmond served until he was 100. John Dingle served from 1950-something till 2000-something. Three terms in the senate, nine in the house.
State Appointments to the Senate: Until the the 17th Amendment, state legislatures appointed US Senators. Go back to that system. It will reduced the power of the Feds and reassert the power of the states.
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