The Platform
Supreme Court and Congressional Term Limits
The Supreme Court has become a highly politicized branch of government. Originally intended to be loyal to the constitution and a check on the power of both Congress and the President, SCOTUS appears beholden to advance the agenda of the partisan president who nominated the individual justice. Term limits on justices, such as the suggestion for 18-year terms, would ensure that each president is guaranteed at least one appointment. The length of the term would help limit the encroaching ideological loyalties that often replace interpretation of the constitution. Most other democracies in the world have high court judicial term limits established, and most US states do, as well, making SCOTUS an outlier that weakens our democracy.
Read More:
Furthermore, Congresspeople have long been criticized for extremely long tenures in office. While arguments are made in favor of experience, arguably the USA has the resources to ensure that new generations of leadership are prepared to take over for those that have served decades in either the House or Senate. Implementing term limits weakens the power of special interest lobbyists, and ensures that incumbents cannot continue to hold office without truly delivering for their constituents.
Read More:
Ranked Choice Voting
In highly polarized times, many Americans are looking for compromise. Not only does a two-party system not support or incentive compromise, but neither does a plurality or majority system, also known as a winner-takes-all. Ranked choice voting provides a fairer alternative, through which voters second or third choices could still win, allowing a result that would appease more voters than if forced to pick just one candidate. Ranked choice voting promotes diversity of opinion, thought, and policy position, as well as fostering cooperation even among candidates during campaigns. Outcomes are more representative of the population that voted, and barriers are lowered for candidates, especially those that come from traditionally-marginalized backgrounds.
We propose that ranked choice voting be implemented nationwide, for virtually all elections, especially those for federal office.
Read More:
End Gerrymandering
Gerrymandering is an unfair practice by which congressional districts are drawn to give an unfair advantage to a candidate from a particular political party by splitting voters up between districts who may otherwise agree on a candidate if granted the opportunity to choose an elected official who represents their views. Together with general voter suppression, gerrymandering has become a powerful partisan tool that has largely been used against traditionally disenfranchised or underrepresented.
SCOTUS already ruled in 2019 that it was not within the court's power to stop gerrymandering. This must be done via federal law to ensure that leading parties in any state cannot draw district lines in a way that gives them a monopoly on power. District lines should follow existing administrative boundaries and/or geographic boundaries as a start to ensure fairer representation for people living in an area with shared needs and interests.
Read More: