Contract From America

Democracy and Power 107:  Counting votes

In a democracy the politician must favorably influence the majority of their voting constituents.  In all political decisions the politician calculates how many votes are gained by voting money spent on legislation versus how many votes are lost.

 

Contract From America

What produced the “shellacking of 2010?”  The Tea Party and independent voters were repulsed by the spending and the corruption of government.  Remember, the Republicans got beat badly in 06 and 08.  Why? Costly wars and spending like drunken sailors – earmarks galore.  And the Independents voted them out.  Hoping for change, the independent voter installed Obama and Democratic majorities.  Oh, did the long time Democratic politicians have fun installing ObamaCare, taking over General Motors, rewarding unions and spending, spending, and spending.

Repulsed, the Tea Party movement formed and the independent voter said this is idiotic.  Hence, the Democrats were shellacked.  Unfortunately, our system of governance remains broken and America continues to decline.  Obviously, turning over politicians or political parties is not necessarily conducive to good governance. 

The Contract From America:  Fortunately, prior to the shellacking of 2010, a Houston attorney pondered how to repair America’s system of governance.  And the Contract From America was born, which is described by Max Pappas of Freedomworks:  

…, the Contract From America was conceived by a tea party leader in Houston, Texas a year and a half ago.  He asked activists online across the country to submit policy proposals, received thousands, boiled them down to 23 proposals, and held a nation-wide vote. Hundreds of thousands of votes came in and the top 10 became the Contract.

 Critical to repairing America’s governance is to incorporate the elements of freedom.  Notice the freedom principles stated in the Contract’s preamble:

 Individual Liberty

Our moral, political, and economic liberties are inherent, not granted by our government.

Limited Government

The purpose of our government is to exercise only those limited powers that have been relinquished to it by the people, chief among these being the protection of our liberties by administering justice and ensuring our safety from threats arising inside or outside our country’s sovereign borders.

Economic Freedom

The market economy, driven by the accumulated expressions of individual economic choices, is the only economic system that preserves and enhances individual liberty.

 Wisely, the Contract has legislative action items to begin restoring a free society:

 1. Protect the Constitution

2. Reject Cap & Trade

3. Demand a Balanced Budget

4. Enact Fundamental Tax Reform

5. Restore Fiscal Responsibility & Constitutionally Limited Government in Washington

6. End Runaway Government Spending

7. Defund, Repeal, & Replace Government-run Health Care

8. Pass an ‘All-of-the-Above” Energy Policy

9. Stop the Pork

10. Stop the Tax Hikes

At least 67 Members of Congress have embraced this pledge, and Max Pappas astutely observes: That’s huge.  That’s the mandate.

This is more than the usual political mandate, which never includes policies.  Prime example, Obama, Pelosi and Reid thought they had a mandate, and because of the corrupt process and bad policies were shellacked.

The Contract From America is 10 policies supported by hundreds of thousands of people.  This fortifies and gives enhanced power to 12 Senators and 55 House members to go-forth.  The convergence of policies advancing freedom, a citizen army, dedicated politicians and defined policies is an exceptional force.  A force that can repair and expand freedom and prosperity in America.

 Read more about the Contract at FreedomWorks.org.