California Expert Software

Introduction
C+ 10 Steps to Repair American Democracy An Owners Manual for Concerned Citizens Steven Hill, with a Forward by Hendrik Hertzberg Sausalito, CA: PoliPoint Press 2006

The author, Steven Hill, is a political activist and reasonably successful election reformer. He is one of those responsible for Instant Runoff Voting in San Francisco. During his 15 year career, he has advised and inspired political organizations and their candidates in the United States and Europe. He is Director of the Political Reform Program, New America Foundation, San Francisco, Calif.

Mr. Hill's book is of the ever popular prescriptive form, Do X, Get Y. His book is done in easy to read, large print, colloquial American. He proposes to fix America's problems in just Ten (not-so-easy) Steps. They are:

Reform and Professionalize Election Administration
More or Universal Voter Registration
Instant Runoff Voting
Proportional Representation
Direct Election of the President
Eliminate or Reform the Senate
Public Broadcasting and Equal Time
Campaign Finance Reform and Public Financing
Supreme Court Term Limits
Restore Faith in Government

Taken together, Mr. Hill believes these changes would create "... a climate of multipartisan collegiality, where the collective mind-set can come together and share perspectives in order to craft compromises and solutions for the good of the nation ..." (p. 194). Mr. Hill beleives that there is an American political center where all parties meet and come to agreement. This is the assumption of a common complaint about politicians, 'why don't you guys just get together and solve the problems?'

The premise of the book is clearly stated at the outset:

How can we account for this seeming contradiction between a preponderance of moderate and independent voters ... and deep partisan divisions ... Our antiquated political system forces us into these two hostile factions. (p. 3)

Yet, later on the same page, Mr. Hill recognizes the United States is deeply and about equally politically divided, which is the source of "rancor and division" (p. 3), not accomodation. Therein is a darker possibility, which Mr. Hill almost considers, but passes by. What he sticks to is the notion that Americans are really cut from one cloth, so the political wars are artificial. It's a case of Dr. Seuss or Star Trek creatures that happen to be painted somewhat differently. The book has to be undersood in those terms to make sense.

I endorse most of what Mr. Hill proposes in this book, although with a few changes and cavils. I have my own version of proportional representation, stated in GSQ as Affinity Representation. I doubt universal voter registration will change much. I give more credence to limiting Capitalist money in politics than does Mr. Hill. I doubt very much anything can be done about the Electoral College, the Senate or the Supreme Court (in my lifetime). I think it unlikely faith will be restored in government any time soon, perhaps because my own has been severly diminished during the last quarter century. In my view, these reforms would only slow down likely collapse. Nonetheless, most of what Mr. Hill proposes seem to be Good Ideas. (You may as well enjoy the music a determined orchestra played as the Titanic sank.)

I think it unlikely Conservatives will see much merit in this book, as by and large they are committed to sustaining a system that has given them power for more than two centuries. Mr. Hill correctly points out that the Founding Fathers established a Republic which limits the power of the Mob. That is why they established the Electoral College, the Senate and the Supreme Court as they are in the Constitution. The Founding Fathers were citizens of their jealous States, not of a United States, so they insisted on methods that gave power to rural, slave holding States. American History can be interpreted as the ongoing conflict embedded in the original Constitution and related writings, particularly the Federalist papers.

Mr. Hill is that part of the argument which believes the anti-democratic provisions of American government should be removed. His many examples and criticisms of recent events show how the election process has been used and abused, especially in the last decade. He does show how his reforms would take care of the problems in evidence.

Where Mr. Hill's reforms do promote democracy and civic well-being, there is a broad middle such as the one Mr. Hill imagines exists in the America. Places like Sweden do well because almost everyone shares a common ground. In other words, cultural homogeniety is a prerequisite for improved democracy. When cultures are sufficiently different, when there is no compromise, then it is either separation or battle to the death. That is the message of Samuel Huntington's Clash of Civilizations, and is certainly what is going on in the Middle East. I believe, the clash is (and has been) the fundamental condition of the United States.

I must say the book is a day late and a dollar short, which is why I rated it as I did. I wanted to urge it more strongly, but I cannot. My difficulty is this: I think the root causes of division in the United States are much deeper than the electoral system. The present Bandit government puts in full view the giant crevass that separates Red and Blue, the same unbridged depths marked by Secession which swallowed Civil Warriors. I don't think there is any compromise possible between these two different and hostile cultures. If there were, Mr. Hill's formulas might work as he suggests.

I do recommend the book to those needing a push to become active in electoral reform. Mr. Hill's work may do some good. If you are doing nothing else, you could support or join the organizations working on each of the reforms Mr. Hill lists in his book. The book is a handy reference summarizing what needs to be done and where to go to volunteer.

If nothing else, you could vote for Green Party candidates, as they support Hill's reforms. That is why I endorsed Forrest Hill for California Secretary of State.

10 Steps to Repair American Democracy