Practical Solutions to America's Problems
Abstracts
Solve
American Gridlock
“…Benjamin Franklin, who, on leaving the constitutional convention of 1787, supposedly told a curious passerby that the Framers had produced “a republic, if you can keep it.” - Adam J. White, From The Atlantic
OUR APPROACH
The Gridlock Issues are contributing mightily to the partisanship rampant in our country.
Our approach includes being logical, transparent, and non-partisan. We ask “why” repeatedly
to dig down to the real causes for problems.
Global Warming
PROBLEM
The world, including America, is not making adequate progress in combatting global warming.
Global "progress"?
(carbon emissions)
BIG ISSUES
People and governments do not have a comprehensive and believable roadmap for
solving the global warming conundrum.
All too many countries and individuals do not believe that others are ready to volunteer
for inconveniences and costs to make progress fighting global warming, so they just do
little or nothing. This becomes the actuality that the world is not headed toward a
solution.
Fragmented laws and regulations are not working well. A universal incentive is
required.
REQUISITE GLOBAL WARMING OVERHAUL
The crystal clear message is that success in the fight against global warming requires a
BLUEPRINT – with a key component being EMISSIONS PRICING, often called carbon
pricing.
The BLUEPRINT will be presented widely in at least two versions:
1
A Professional version for scientists, economists, and others understanding its terminology and deep meaning, and also
2
A Basic version written to be understandable by most people.
See the detailed definition and advantages of the Blueprint and the Pricing of
Emissions in the body of this website here: Requisite Global Warming Overhaul
Dysfunctional Congress
PROBLEM
Congress is not doing its job at all well, and a root cause is its division into two
diametrically opposed and essentially equal-sized parties that fight each other on almost
everything.
ANALYSIS
Virtually all modern democracies have more than two parties, thereby creating a greater
variety of viewpoints and thus a necessity for civil negotiations in congress. We have
fallen behind.
Congress has shown itself to be increasingly polarized and ineffective in addressing its
tasks; this applies to both parties. Revising electoral methods that nourish the evolution
of more than two parties will stimulate more points of view and negotiation as has been
demonstrated in virtually all developed nations.
“America’s system was designed to operate in an environment where most factions would be ephemeral, developing over issues and then dissolving when those issues faded or were somehow resolved.”
Adapted from The Role of Political Parties in Preventing Congress from Functioning, Dennis R. Bullock, Real Clear Policy.
A system with more than two parties is required to foster the alliance of different
factions coming together temporarily to solve different issues. This is democracy at its
best.
Ballotpedia polled the congress approval rating at 17% on February 18, 2022. It is not a
stretch to say that most members of congress are well aware of the problem and
increasingly dissatisfied with the present systems and their personal status.
See the main body of this topic for much more analysis as to how America got into this
predicament and what can be done by clicking here: Dysfuntional Congress - Introduction
WHAT TO DO?
Electoral systems matter! Our two-party system – almost unused in today’s leading nations –
is nourished and preserved by single-member districts and non-proportional voting. Changing
our electoral systems to Multi-Member Districts for the House and using Ranked Choice Voting
for congress will quickly facilitate more parties, eliminate gerrymandering and safe seats, and
give us a functional congress. We have to dig ourselves out of this polarizing and dysfunctional
hole. Remember, “When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging”.
We deserve it, and we can make it happen!
