Author: Ken Coman
•5:49 PM

Not only should we be grateful for the government our founders gave us, but we should continue their work.

All great architects first envision before they draft. So was it with the great architects of our nation - they envisioned and then drafted. None of them however envisioned what is happening today. What would Madison, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin and Washington say about our world as it is today with globalization, technology, the media, terrorism and the lust for power among the nation's elite? They would say that designing a government for this world would require that they remain true to their core principles of liberty and creative with the design of the government.

They changed the government according to their world and left a way for us to do the same. It is my belief that all of them would be mortified to know that we have been so slow to adapt our government to our changing world. Among many other things, they would be amazed to see the ultra sensitive Legislative & Executive branches of government - whose many members are almost entirely uneducated on economics and totally un-insulated from the media and the winds of public opinion - drafting the largest economic reform bills in the world's history. They would say it is time we use that seldom used but powerful tool called the "amendment" to revise our constitution.

Keeping in line with their thoughts on the balance of powers, the principles of liberty and the proper role of government, here is what I propose:

  • An Executive Branch with limited authority as per the Constitution currently.
  • A Legislative Branch made up of two houses - House and Senate. The Legislative Branch would have all of the same powers they possess now with the exception of regulating Interstate Commerce and overseeing financial policies.
  • A Judicial Branch made up of two houses called the Administrative Branch and the Judiciary. The Judiciary would be constructed as it is currently. The Administrative Branch would include all of the administrative services such as Social Security, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Transportation, etc. All administrative agencies that also have an appendant administrative court to enforce their guidelines would be included in this branch. The heads of these agencies would be appointed by the Executive and ratified by the Legislative Branch.
  • A new, fourth branch called the Economic & Commerce Branch made up of two houses: a House & Senate. The house would be elected directly by the people. The Senate would be made up of the several state Treasurers which are elected directly by the people and the Vice President as the President of the Senate.

    The Chairman of the Federal Reserve would report to this branch of government rather than the legislative branch.


    I am amazed to see the most complicated issues of our time being debated by people who are up for re-election in a few weeks and who have very little true knowledge on what is best for our society - economically speaking. It is essentially Chairman Bernanke and Secretary Paulson running the country as congress can only add minor modifications to their proposals due to their lack of knowledge. Paulson and Bernanke are incredibly intelligent but they need help and our current system is not capable of helping them. The legislative branch is too ignorant to give proper oversight and too ignorant to add value on economic policy. It is time that changed. Electing economists to our current legislative branch would cripple our country in all of its other important areas such as national defense, social and domestic policy as well as foreign policy. Creating a fourth branch of government designed for this purpose would attract the best and brightest in the area of economics. Through that collection of bright minds we would see our country evolve and grow in areas never touched and once again lead the world in this revolution of self government.

    We have two choices: move ever closer to a dictatorial Executive Branch due to our representative's inability to act forcing our constitution to be null and void or amend our constitution so that we can act - by the people and for the people.

    Our founders started the revolution. It didn't end though with their passing. That revolution - the belief in self government and that by self government the people would be better served - started in the hearts of all true Americans and has spread to us today. Just the same as they cast off their government not once, but twice (the Monarchy and the Articles of Confederation) - so too would they urge us to amend our constitution so that our crippled nation can heal itself and move very capably forward into the future.

    Not only should we be grateful for the government our founders gave us, but we should continue their work. I urge you to consider this proposal. If you don't like my proposal - that is fine - but somehow our government needs a renovation.
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    1 comments:

    On October 27, 2008 at 2:58 PM , Ethan said...

    I think your suggestion is a good one, Ken. As long as new powers weren't created in the process and improper ones were pruned from this unruly tree, that is. I like the idea of having people educated in economics making decisions about the economic issues and direction. That makes a lot of sense.

    The biggest obstacle, as I see it, to real gov't reform as you suggest, is that the system as it is and as they are trying to make it benefits the ones in power. It is almost as though their ignorance or apathy toward proper gov't fiscal management helps them in some way.

    If a really solid mandate from the electorate were to reach them, maybe they would change. I guess that is all we can really do about it anyway.

    I will ponder what you have written here more. Thanks for the ideas.