The federal government is paralyzed from dysfunctional partisanship. The Supreme Court, Congress, and the President seem unable to function.
The partisan gang wars show up in two ways: (1) Inability to act, because of inability to agree, and (2) Serving to preserve and protect partisan political interests, instead of Country and Constitution.
Present since the beginning of the Republic, partisanship has grown like cancer, raging out of control now, infecting all three branches of government. Witness the growing number of votes/decisions made upon party lines, and the long shut-down in government, resulting from partisan politics and made worse by partisan discord.
The solution is simple. Require office holders to abandon partisan politics before holding office. Politicians, judges, and presidents may engage in partisan politics before election, but not after.
President, members of Congress and Supreme Court Justices take an oath to serve “we the people” by preserving and protecting Country and Constitution, not a political party.
Baring partisanship service will not eliminate disagreement, nor should it. Elected officials should not change their beliefs upon holding office. They change their loyalty. Upon taking office, they serve everyone.
This can only change through the amendment of the US Constitution. The operative language is clean, just one sentence:
The President, Vice President, members of the Senate, House of Representatives, and Supreme Court, shall not act as a leader, member, or supporter of any partisan political organization, during their term of office.
Voila! It is finished! No party caucuses. No party line votes. Just ideas discussed, decisions made, by Presidents, members of Congress and the Supreme Court, who serve, and answer to, all the people.
This is how we save a government “of the people, by the people and for the people” from perishing, as Abraham Lincoln warned.
The process can happen quickly if the motivation is sufficient and the cause is just. The recent 26th amendment to the US Constitution was completed within four months, start to finish. (Commenced March 10, 1971, and ratified by a sufficient number of states less than four months later, July 1, 1971.)
The motivation comes from the existential threat to our Republic and the world. The Cause is to restore this Nation of Promise. Here is a sample text:
JOINT RESOLUTION. Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring non-partisan service of President, Vice-President, all members of the Senator, House of Representative and the Supreme Court.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, two-thirds of each House concurring therein,
That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States:
ARTICLE I
SECTION 1. The President, Vice President, members of the Senate, House of Representatives, and Supreme Court, and all appointees and advisors who are subject to confirmation by the Senate, shall not act as leader, member, or supporter of any partisan political organization, during their term of office.
SECTION 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
