Held Hostage by the Political Class

iStock_000004481998_Medium

iStock_000004481998_Medium

A political system in the United States has been created in which corporations, unions, special interest groups, and political elites make the decisions, and the American people suffer the consequences. We are no longer a government of the people, but a government that based on the desires of political elites. These special interest groups and lobbyists make up the “professional political class,” an idea that presidential candidate Carly Fiorina (R) has been rallying against since the inception of her campaign. The creation and fostering of the political class is the reason why Congress fails to function, why compromise is so rare, and why leaders of both parties fail to create a sustainable future for our nation.

Some people may argue that the only way to defeat the political class is to ban “big money” from politics, but this is merely a false hope predicated on the notion that only one party is addicted to donor funds. Liberals may be surprised to find that while they are busy vilifying the Koch brothers, Democratic candidates and interest groups are being funded by shady individuals like George Soros, who the Washington Timesalleges helped fund the protests in Ferguson.Politics and money are intertwined, and the only practical way to undo this is to dramatically decrease the size of government, so much that large money donations can’t make a significant difference and thus, the professional political class is effectively starved of power.

If the federal government were to dramatically decrease the size of its bureaucracy, it would not only become more efficient but also less corrupt. Washington D.C. is thriving as the political class lives comfortably, while main street America suffers. Over the past decade alone, D.C. has contributed 21,000 households to the top one percent of income. Furthermore, six of the wealthiest ten American counties are located around D.C.

To defeat the political class, America must foster growth countrywide, instead of within the D.C. bubble and greatly decrease the size of the federal government. A devolution revolution is needed, similar to the one witnessed during the Gingrich era of the 1990’s, in which the country saw more rights and responsibilities given to the states. If this were to take place, states would obtain more responsibilities and rights, and the federal government would become less involved in the lives of individuals. The federal government can start by abolishing full federal agencies, leaving only thoseessential to the functionality of the country. Government that is closer to the people will function more efficiently and will be more responsive to mainstream Americans rather than the professional political class.