Complex Problems

The original purpose of the Federal Government was to protect the 
rights of the individual from the over-reaching tyranny of an
all-powerful federal executive AND from the tyranny of an 
all-powerful majority vote.

That's why it was set up as a democratic republic and not set up
as a pure democracy.  That's why the Federal Government had its
powers limited by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  That's
why competing power centers were created to diffuse the central
accumulation of power.

The members of the House were elected by popular vote to represent
the people's will.

The Senators were appointed by state politicians to represent state's
rights in Washington.  The election of Senators has since been 
changed to popular vote, with the effect of lessening the influence
of state's rights in Washington.

The President was elected by Electors appointed by representatives
of the states, to carry out constitutional duties and to enforce proper
laws and regulations.  The Electors have since been chosen to 
represent the popular vote for President in the states.

Finally, the Supreme Court was created to adjudicate the 
Constitutionality of Federal laws and regulations.

Over the years, the increasing reliance on the popular vote has
increased the political importance of achieving majority vote and
decreasing the importance of state's rights or individual rights.  
The country has moved closer to a pure Democracy and further
from a Republic.

At first blush, most would think this shift has been a good thing,
but there's a darker side as well.  Power has been gradually 
shifting away from States and individuals to the centralized power
of the Federal government...the polar opposite of what the founders
intended.

To get elected in Washington, one has to deal with power centers
that are more concerned with the welfare of their members than
with the welfare of the Country, the individual States, or any
individuals outside of their membership.

Eisenhower once warned about the rising influence of the 
Military/Industrial Complex.  Today we've progressed to the
Federal Government Complex, the Banking, the Public
Union, and the Environmental Complexes, as well as the 
Healthcare and Welfare Complexes...and who knows how many
more?

There used to be many competing car companies and banks.  Now,
maybe two or three US car companies, and maybe five or six giant
banks, all becoming bigger and bigger until they become "too big to
fail"...protected by the federal government and feeding off taxes paid
by working American citizens.

Millions of Americans wonder "how we ever got in this mess"?  
Others wonder "how we're ever going to get out of this mess?'.  It
started with the well-intentioned shift towards centralized Federal
control.

Some suggestions for getting out of this mess will follow.