https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/30/opinion/jan-6-committee-report.html The most important step elected officials can take — aside from choosing not to undermine our institutions for their own political gain — is to advance a comprehensive set of election and campaign finance reforms to make politicians more responsive to their constituents than to the money and voices of the few. GET RID OF CITIZENS UNITED--BUYING POLITICIANS Congress could also create universal election rules that encourage all citizens to vote while reassuring a skeptical public that the elections are secure. QUITE A FEW COUNTRIES HAVE THIS REQUIRED W. SMALL FINES, BUT IT SHOWS IT IS A DUTY But beyond that, our leaders need to build trust broadly by tackling economic inequality and reinvesting in communities devastated by globalization and technological changes. BERNIE AND EVEN BIDEN MAY BE STARTING TO REALIZE THIS At the most basic level, politicians should refocus locally on building roads, lowering crime and revitalizing small business districts, instead of looking for votes by harping on divisive national topics. ABSOLUTELY NOT FROM THE GOP/CONSERVATIVE PLAYBOOK
I read the Op-ed and can agree with much of it. The biggest problem that I see is that so few Americans are actively involved in politics or even know how are elections work. Most recent elections have been very well run. Fraud is actually very rare in major elections when compared to how many votes that have been cast. The problem is that few participate or bother to know what goes into running an election. We have a shortage of people willing to work as election workers and as we've seen many of those trained as election judges don't know election laws and only add to the cynicism of elections. Besides that few Americans participate in politics including politics at the local level. This is why so often local city council meetings and other meetings get dominated by exremists. When so few particpate of course the loudest and / or richest voices will prevail. What we need a is a major civic engagement in this country.
I'll come back and read the op ed but my initial thought is when you have ~25% of the country completely detached from reality and believing the election was stolen, with zero proof, based on blatant lies and propaganda.... there is no restoring faith in the US election system.
