Your Government Won't Change... Unless You Do

Whats wrong with government?

I know, you think you know the answer, but Im pretty sure you dont. Because the problem isnt lobbyists, greedy politicians, lazy government workers or even Citizens United...

...its you.

I realize, you may not want to hear that, but not wanting to hear something doesnt make it any less true. (Or entitle you to an alternative truth.)

If you dont care or you care more about being right and blaming others than solving the problem, then just stop reading now. This piece will be a waste of your time.

But if you do careif youre horrified or even scared about the direction our government is currently headed and you want to do something about it...like really do something....then its time for a long hard look in the mirror.

Our government was designed to be responsive to the will of its people.

Its true. The Founding Fathers did not include term limits in the Constitution, because they believed elections and the simple fact that elected officials would want to get reelected, would make them responsive to the will of their constituents. They, however, also expected, that we the people would take our government as seriously as they did.

We do not take government seriously.

The vast majority of us are not informed, nor do we make an effort to be informed. Instead, we expect politics and political news to outrage and entertain us.

Admit it, you know more about whatever pseudo-scandalous thing happened on a given day, than any policy that may or may not have been enacted by Congress...just as you give your attention to the political figures, who give fiery speeches and threaten to blow things up, versus the ones who can get into the policy weeds and build consensus. Seriously. There are 535 voting members of Congress, whose names do you know?

Yes, Im aware that reading substantive articles on trade agreements and building ordinances isnt necessarily fun, but neither is mowing your lawn or doing sit-ups and we tend to see those as worthy investments of our time. Is the state of your yard and abdominals really that much more important to you than the laws your government enacts on your behalf? More importantly, do you want a government that outrages and entertains you or one that takes the business of governing seriously...because theres a reason, weve got the former.

At the risk of torturing one too many many metaphors, do you know why so many TV series are getting smarter and more nuanced? Its because TV viewers are getting more and more sophisticated. Were no longer impressed with cheap tricks and tropes, so shows are being written to appeal to our growing appetite for well-drawn characters and complex storylines, that arent easily resolved in an hour. Well, the same could hold true for government, except instead of getting more sophisticated, were getting less.

This lack of sophistication might not be such a big problem, if you werent also in the habit of voting for the candidate, who agrees with you the loudest. But you do. You know you do and elected officials know you do, too. They also know you tend to freak the eff out on anyone, who has the audacity to say something other than what you want to hear. And not only do politicians and anyone who works in and around politics know this, more than a few media outlets keep their lights on by combing through countless hours and pages of government work (and everyones Twitter histories) to find a sentence or two they can package with just the right amount of can-you-believe-what-this-government-related-person-said??!!! outrage to send you on a click-crazy bender. (Yeah, thats right, youve got the media producing government coverage like the folks over at Bravo put together a Real Housewives episode.)

You see what youre doing?

You know very little about policy and how government works in fact, much of what you think you know is barely true...if that but your voting and media habits actively deter anyone involved in the process from doing or saying anything that might suggest youre wrong. Meanwhile, youre encouraging elected officials to pursue policies that may/may not be grounded in reality, because you make it clear, thats what you want to hear.

Think about it. Its hard to find a government program that isnt underfunded, right now, and yet, Members of Congress spend more time talking about initiatives to end government waste than just about anything else. Why? Well, Im guessing it has something to do with the fact that according to polls and focus groups, Americans are more universally concerned about government waste than just about anything else.

I also know several Republican Members of Congress, who wanted to write, sponsor or support legislation to fix various issues with the Affordable Care Act, but didnt. Why? Because they knew it would get reported that they were abandoning their pledge to repeal Obamacare, and that the resulting supporter backlash would be so fierce, that theyd draw a primary challenge, before they even got a chance to explain themselves. And before you start thinking this is just a Republican problem, lets not forget how many on the left react, when a Democrat even utters the word trade.

I know...but what about money in politics? Whats the point of taking this stuff seriously, when there are so many big powerful interests writing big checks. Right?

Look, I wont lie and say that money isnt a problem, but I do know that campaign contributions arent lining the pockets of candidates. That money funds ads and strategists and get out the vote operations and other things that have the hypothetical ability to influence votes.

Well, do you know what has more power than the hypothetical ability to influence votes?

Actual votes.

So, what can you do about it?

Well, for starters...

Stop bitching about money in politics and change what influences you. (e.g. Stop being taken in by 30 second attack ads and cheap political tricks.) Learn more, so you can demand better.

Stop getting excited every time a politician tells you exactly what you want to hear and stop freaking out every time they say something different.

Start supporting candidates who are brave enough to be honest with you, even when that means telling you youre wrong. I guarantee if enough people start supporting those candidates, more and more politicians will follow suit.

Stop clicking on salacious headlines that exhort you to be outraged that some political figure said some terrible thing. Not only are you missing the forest for the trees, youre discouraging politicians from asking important questions and engaging on issues, for fear that they might misspeak or utter a clause that can be taken out of context. If you really must know what they said and whether or not you should lose your mind about it, go see what the New York Times or Wall Street Journal, Associated Press or a site like, Vox has to say about it, because theyre more likely to put the statement in context versus reduce an entire career or policy debate to a few incendiary words. And if those outlets arent reporting on it, odds are that first source was just trying to manipulate you into either supporting their cause or just clicking on their site, because your click makes them money. And when you allow yourself to be manipulated into clicking a pseudo political scandal YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM. Put a Post-It on your screen if you need a reminderjust stop doing it. Reserve your outrage for things that matter.

Speaking of which...while youre on those news sites, read some less salacious coverage of tax policy or foreign affairs or election reform. In fact, set aside twenty minutes each day to go learn stuff about government and government policy that you dont already know. Hell, you can do it, while youre doing your cardio.

I know it may seem dull at first, but I guarantee, the more you learn, the more interesting itll get. And the more you click on those stories, the more talented writers on other sites will turn their talents to making those dense policy topics as much fun to read as a Game of Thrones recap. (Not that it should have to be fun for you to care.) And the more you know, the more youll be able to immediately identify fake news for what it is. The more youll understand whats really going on and how you can impact the process, because you cant impact a process you dont understand (at least not for the better). And the more you understand, the more youll be able to educate and elevate those around you, so they can impact the process too.

Yes, I know, you are only one person and you probably cant rescue our democracy all on your own. Which is why you should share this piece or the points it raises with your friends and family, and pledge to change together. Start a discussion group to talk about issues or a support group to stop clicking. For next months book club, why not pick a book on energy policy, prison reform or the conflict in Syria?

But just because you may not be able to save our democracy by yourself, doesnt mean it can be saved without you. It cant.

Because the truth is: your government takes its cues from you, and it wont change, unless you do.