Policy Theories
Policy theories are essential to the construction of functional public policy, and the consideration from every conceivable angle of legislation before ratification. From elite theory to group theory; institutional theory to rational choice theory; to systems theory—legislation must be considered to reign in the radical printing and spending of U.S. dollars; devoid of civic representation. To achieve this, various differential policy theories must be considered. Lastly, Congressional term limits must be implemented by U.S. Constitutional Amendment to avoid future government intervention in the autonomy of man. Thereby a Constitutional amendment must be ratified to enact lasting regulation, and thus proceed to purge the evil from among us, (1 Cor 5:13).
Elite Theory descends from the rule of Ancient Athens, whereby the ruling class makes decisions on behalf of the population. Whilst Athenian Democracy was a factor of Greece’s political system, it did not subvert the authoritative rule of the elites over the majority. American political theory sources its meritocracy (thesis) from the same Athenian principles of aristocracy and democracy; yet encompass an incurrence of detriment to the posterity of our Constitutional Republic. The U.S. Legislative Branch requires term limits to be imposed upon itself and its members; both the President and the Supreme Court adhere to term constitutionally term limits—whether enumerated in the Constitution, or by Amendment. it is inconceivable why Congress does not face these same protections against tyrannic oligopolization. Donald Trump was denounced during his presidency for advocating term limits be imposed on Congress; Senator Mitch McConnell (who was Senate Majority Leader at the time) stated “term limits would not be on the congressional agenda…congressional term limits had already been mandated by the Constitution,” (JSTOR). Senator McConnell has held office since 1984, winning re-election every six years since; McConnell’s website proudly boasts “On November 3, 2020, he was elected to a record seventh term (McConnell, M.,). Senator McConnell’s blatant opposition to abdicating his position of influential power reveals the inadequacies of implementing Elite Theory to invoke effective term limits against Congress.
Group Theory observes the perspective on special interest group dialecticism, whereby the thesis and antithesis of directly opposing interest groups produce a new synthesis; id est a demand for policy. But Special interest groups have failed to structure their efforts in a way that correlates with the public interest; neglecting the needs of their constituents in exchange for more funding, and inevitably greater power. Currently, 438 federal agencies are in operation; these special interest groups cater to specific goals on behalf of citizens, (Federal Register). The primary focus of special interest groups is to gain funding; without this, they cannot pursue their political agenda. On February 14th, 2024, The Heritage Foundation released a report revealing that “Congress has approved over $12 trillion in emergency and disaster spending since 1992 and embarked on a $7.5 trillion spending spree between 2020 and 2022, resulting in a gross national debt of $34.1 trillion and expected deficits of over $20 trillion over the next decade,” (HeritageFoundation). Despite the interests of the people, Congress continues to over-appropriate and overallocate U.S. tax dollars on frivolous expenditures, namely special interest welfare programs, foreign aid, and other deceptive tactics to gain an advantage over those expected to fund the operation: the civic constituency.
Institutional Theory places legalism at the forefront of policymaking; yet institutions often act against individualism. The federal government and the courts consider themselves to be the arbiter of truth; yet both stand distinctly incapable of achieving consistency, lacking a tethering to reality. As Michael Kraft asserts, “[t]he term institution can have many meanings, (Kraft, M., p. 79). Political theorist John Rawls (1921–2002) wrote that “this principle [Pareto Efficiency] was not originally intended to apply to institutions but to particular configurations of the economic system, for example, to distributions of goods among consumers or to modes of production,” (Rawls, J., p. 58). Rawls’s footnotes expounds, “[t]he principle of efficiency was introduced by Vilfredo Pareto in his Manuel d’économie politique” in Paris during 1909, (Rawls, J., p. 100). As political theorist James Burnham (1905–1987) wrote “Pareto, like all Machiavellians, has thus a pluralistic theory of history. Lume Books. Kindle Edition. The élite in any society is never static. Its structure, its composition, and the way in which it is related to the rest of the society are always changing,” (Burnham, J., pp. 208, 210).
Benjamin Ginsberg writes that, “members of Congress often have strong reason to oppose the chief executive; (Ginsberg, B., p. 185). As Donald R. Wolfensberger states that, “Minority parties tend to be the most vocal about the majority’s abuse of power and are most committed to overhauling Congress if they regain power. However, the history of Congress over the last forty years shows that when party control changes, the former minority party’s zeal for reform quickly fades,” (Wolfensberger, D., pp. 75, 76). Contemporary jurist Alicia Bannon, speaking on the Supreme Court contends that “[p]assing reform by statute presents an opportunity to build public support for a substantial institutional redesign that could later be codified in the Constitution,” (Bannon, A., p. 11). Institutional Theory proposes party sorting as an essential component of civic representation; Daniel Hemel writes that; “[p]olarization occurs when attitudes migrate from the center toward liberal and conservative extremes,…[p]olarization is a longstanding feature of Supreme Court voting patterns: the justices have coalesced into recognizably liberal and conservative ‘blocs’ as far back as the 1930s (Kalman 1999),” (Hemel, D., p. 125). Hemel adds that “[t]his phenomenon [party sorting] strengthens the link between the electorate’s preferences and the justices’ decisions and thus arguably bolsters the democratic foundation for the court’s authority,” (Hemel, D., p. 126).
Rational Choice Theory is a policy that focuses on individual interests, ignoring national and collective agenda. Conversely to the former, individual interest often opposes institutions; esp. Congress. Michael Kraft denotes “voters, corporate lobbyists, agency officials, or legislators,” Kraft, M., p. 80). Critically; these positions often void consideration of public interest groups and resolve to an absolute state of certainty amongst matters of polity. John Rawls writes that “rational individuals with certain ends and related to each other in certain ways are to choose among various courses of action in view of their knowledge of the circumstances. What these individuals will do is then derived by strictly deductive reasoning from these assumptions about their beliefs and interests, their situation, and the options open to them. Their conduct is, in the phrase of Pareto, the resultant of tastes and obstacles,” (Rawls, J., p. 103). The astute political theorist William F. Buckley, Jr. wrote that, “freedom should encourage spontaneity, innovation, and individuation,” (Buckley, Jr., W., p. 9). Individuality is how communities are formed; thus America can be fortified, without detriment. But this can only come through radical innovation in esse the individual’s decision to declare representation under the governance of incumbent pol relative to the constituents’ jurisdiction. Yet despite the demagoguery and civic deception, constituents may not force abdication of their elected official should they find the politicians’ actions to be unworthy of their image of government. Term limits would force prospective candidates to consider the extent of their campaigns and service whilst in office; lest they be forgotten—worse; remembered unfavorably for maleficent tyranny.
Political Systems Theory, or Systems Theory; relays information from the outside environment to the minds of the policymakers; whereby actions is taken to undergo the process of civic representation, thus progressing politics to fit the demands of culture with the objective morality that supports the foundation of America. Systems theory is an essential component to enacting a functional system of representation; an action necessary for Congressional terms limits. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an “independent, non-partisan agency that works for Congress,” (GAO). The GAO reveals that “[d]uring the past year alone the GAO has reported widespread waste in government software spending, deficiencies in the operations of Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals, faulty practices on the part of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), problems with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pilot certification, an poor reporting practices by the Federal Reserve,” (GOA). Pew Research reported that “70% of people believe that people in their districts have too little influence;” yet this does not stop them from a recurring gerrymandering.
Pew Research added, in another study from September 19th, 2023, that “63% say that all or most elected officials in local, state and federal government ran because they wanted to make a lot of money, while about three-in-ten (29%) say some elected officials ran for this reason;” leaving “[j]ust 8% of Americans” who hold faith in the morality of the American government. These numbers are concerning in our Constitutional Republic built upon the foundation of individual representation; America’s contemporary environment reveals a lack of regulatory policy, persistently exploited by oligarchs—without consideration for the needs and interests of the working-class. But the taxpayer himself is presupposed the be the financial investor of the entire operation; a practice that weakens the national morale and reverence for commonwealth.
Biblical Theory, as it is written, and scribed through John by God’s Holy Spirit; “[b]eloved children, our love can’t be an abstract theory we only talk about, but a way of life demonstrated through our loving deeds. We know that the truth lives within us because we demonstrate love in action, which will reassure our hearts in his presence,” (1 John 3:18-19; TPT). Incumbent pol must operate as mindful representatives of public interest; concious of the needs of the individual within their district—through taking action. Term limits ratified by amendment will preclude diffusing centralized issues into broad and weak ineffective solutions. U.S. Representatives are elected to civil service to combat corruption and preclude the minoritarian interests of the ruling class elites. Incumbent pol must be limited in the duration of their political lifespan; giving meaning to the temporal nature of the duties. These creatures are not elected to Congress to improve their own circumstances but to contribute to God’s order and the intended nature of His Kingdom. The Apostle Paul reminds us; “[f]or the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power,” (1 Corinthians 4:20; ESV).
Conclusion
Systems Theory and Rational Choice Theory would be the most beneficial policy perspectives in addressing the immediate need to regulate monetary policy. Elite Theory negates the majority, focusing on the interests of the ruling minority; Group Theory acts as an accomplice to Elite Theory—revoking the individual of his will, whilst filibustering in a state of contention between the rivaling groups. Institutional Theory places far too great of faith in the governmental institutions, yet anchors perspective to potentially unforeseeable obstacles that may be encountered through the imposition of Congressional term limits. Therefore, a Constitutional Amendment is hereby proposed to impart a permanent term limit on the U.S. Legislative Branch.
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