5 ms·

> why not write simpler laws and regulations and leave it to the courts What incentives do lawmakers have to make laws simpler?

core-questions 7y ago
This is why judges cannot be the highest power - the people still need to be able to hold them accountable to ensure that the legal institutions don't become inaccessible to the common man. (Not that they are accessible now... but it could be worse.)
- casefields 7y ago
  That was Scalia's point in his dissent of the gay marriage decision: Scalia argues in his opinion that the court is increasingly creating policy rather than serving as a neutral arbiter. “Today’s decree says that my Ruler, and the Ruler of 320 million Americans coast-to-coast, is a majority of the nine lawyers on the Supreme Court,” he writes. “This practice of constitutional revision by an unelected committee of nine, always accompanied (as it is today) by extravagant praise of liberty, robs the People of the most important liberty they asserted in the Declaration of Independence and won in the Revolution of 1776: the freedom to govern themselves.” https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/246249-scalia-gay-marriage-decision-shows-americas-ruler-is-supreme https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/246249-sca... People in one part of the country go to the courts, and force their will/values on the rest of the country. Activists across the political spectrum do it.
  - lotsofpulp 7y ago
    It’s funny since that specific ruling is what stopped a minority of the US population from imposing their will/“values” on the rest of the country. Clearly the electoral college and legislature is not setup properly to reflect the will of the people at this point in time, so we have a better chance of it happening from 9 Supreme Court judges.
    - watwut 7y ago
      Supreme Court judges are not reflecting popular will. They dont align with what the majority of population think.
BurningFrog 7y ago
How can we change incentives for lawmakers?
- paulryanrogers 7y ago
  Campaign finance reform, same day primaries nationwide, vigorously prosecute bribes and conflicts of interest, make corporate lobbying illegal, prevent industry careerists from holding office, prevent outgoing politicians from working in the industry for some cool off period These things aren't hard they're just blocked by years of propaganda by incumbents. Edit: forgot ranked choice voting
- javajosh 7y ago
  Introduce a rule that any new law should be submitted in the handwriting of its actual authors. And not the handwriting of interns, or staffers of the official authors, the author themselves.
- CyanLite4 7y ago
  Congress has a 20% approval rating, polled weekly for over the past decade. Yet we vote every two years for the same folks who give us the same results. The problem isn’t them. It’s us.
  - brigandish 7y ago
    I'd say the problem is one of competition. "We" cannot choose better legislators unless better legislators come forward for selection, but the incumbents - and by that I mean parties elected or not - have so much money and machinery behind them that to turf them out would be nigh on impossible.
    - lotsofpulp 7y ago
      The problem is that each “we” is pulling to benefit themselves at all costs. Hence giant military fighter jet contracts that span multiple congressmen’s districts around the country, and while being terrible for the future of the country, is untouchable politically as not a single person will vote against their economic interests.
m463 7y ago
I thought the "remove two regulations to add one regulation" was an interesting hack. Don't know if it's political rhetoric or even viable.

core-questions 7y ago

This is why judges cannot be the highest power - the people still need to be able to hold them accountable to ensure that the legal institutions don't become inaccessible to the common man. (Not that they are accessible now... but it could be worse.)

casefields 7y ago
That was Scalia's point in his dissent of the gay marriage decision: Scalia argues in his opinion that the court is increasingly creating policy rather than serving as a neutral arbiter. “Today’s decree says that my Ruler, and the Ruler of 320 million Americans coast-to-coast, is a majority of the nine lawyers on the Supreme Court,” he writes. “This practice of constitutional revision by an unelected committee of nine, always accompanied (as it is today) by extravagant praise of liberty, robs the People of the most important liberty they asserted in the Declaration of Independence and won in the Revolution of 1776: the freedom to govern themselves.” https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/246249-scalia-gay-marriage-decision-shows-americas-ruler-is-supreme https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/246249-sca... People in one part of the country go to the courts, and force their will/values on the rest of the country. Activists across the political spectrum do it.
- lotsofpulp 7y ago
  It’s funny since that specific ruling is what stopped a minority of the US population from imposing their will/“values” on the rest of the country. Clearly the electoral college and legislature is not setup properly to reflect the will of the people at this point in time, so we have a better chance of it happening from 9 Supreme Court judges.
  - watwut 7y ago
    Supreme Court judges are not reflecting popular will. They dont align with what the majority of population think.

BurningFrog 7y ago

How can we change incentives for lawmakers?

paulryanrogers 7y ago
Campaign finance reform, same day primaries nationwide, vigorously prosecute bribes and conflicts of interest, make corporate lobbying illegal, prevent industry careerists from holding office, prevent outgoing politicians from working in the industry for some cool off period These things aren't hard they're just blocked by years of propaganda by incumbents. Edit: forgot ranked choice voting
javajosh 7y ago
Introduce a rule that any new law should be submitted in the handwriting of its actual authors. And not the handwriting of interns, or staffers of the official authors, the author themselves.
CyanLite4 7y ago
Congress has a 20% approval rating, polled weekly for over the past decade. Yet we vote every two years for the same folks who give us the same results. The problem isn’t them. It’s us.
- brigandish 7y ago
  I'd say the problem is one of competition. "We" cannot choose better legislators unless better legislators come forward for selection, but the incumbents - and by that I mean parties elected or not - have so much money and machinery behind them that to turf them out would be nigh on impossible.
  - lotsofpulp 7y ago
    The problem is that each “we” is pulling to benefit themselves at all costs. Hence giant military fighter jet contracts that span multiple congressmen’s districts around the country, and while being terrible for the future of the country, is untouchable politically as not a single person will vote against their economic interests.

m463 7y ago

I thought the "remove two regulations to add one regulation" was an interesting hack. Don't know if it's political rhetoric or even viable.