Oct 16, 2013 2 min read

Plato, in his “Republic,” laid out what he believed to be the essentials for an orderly government.

Centuries later, following various inputs and alterations, our forefathers founded the republic of the United States by creating the Electoral College and a benevolent balancing of three branches of government – the executive, the judicial and the legislative.

A majority vote in the Electoral College was required to win the presidency; thereby, this procedure created the two-party system, avoiding fragmentation of governing in good faith.

Today, party rules in the national and state legislatures allow special interest and rogue ideological groups to delay and/or alter reasonable legislation for the common good. Examples such as the “unit rule” in the House of Representatives and the “filibuster rule” in the Senate bear out this observation.

Use of mass media and voter profiling have almost destroyed the emphasis and dependancy on local, county and political organizations, eroding and devastating the cores of both parties. Overnight, the vacuum has been filled by political fronts employing high-paying consultants inventing, initiating, expanding and thriving on controversy.

If my analysis is correct, what lies ahead for our governing public officials, our political parties and our voters tomorrow?

When Benjamin Franklin was asked what form of government the founders had created, he answered, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

George W. Vitteck Jr.

Washington