thinking out loud

A couple of points that I wish to ponder in depth some more. Figure I’ll make a record of them now. Both thoughts need further research…

Term limits for representatives/senators. Polls indicate that most Americans support this. However, I’m not so sure. People leaving congress to pursue lobbying jobs are a major part of the problem. As Lessig claims, public service is almost considered a “minor league” for lobbyists. Term limits would not help this situation, and might make it far worse. On the other hand, career polititians, such as Ted Kennedy or Strom Thurmond, are often considered some of the most dedicated. The argument is that they’re serving for “the right reasons”, not because it’s a convenient stepping stone on their career path.

Polls continue to indicate that americans have a terrible opinion of Congress, but a high opinion of their own congressperson. To me, that suggests that most congresspeople are either 1. Really good at deceiving their constituents, or 2. Generally good and well meaning, but shackled by a broken institution. I suspect that 2 is much more likely.