What can I do to make the US government less corrupt (besides vote)?
Many things! Let’s start with the basics, and move to the more advanced.Stay informed. Educate yourself on the issues that society is facing. Take time to understand the science behind them. Listen to both sides, and consider them carefully. Form an opinion and (respectfully) share it with others, while listening to others opinions on the topic. These steps make it difficult to be mislead by political advertising.Get involved with associations in your community! There are lots of great non-for-profit organizations out there who are always looking for help. Local united way chapter? Chamber of commerce? Homeowners associations? Yes please! Become an example of a model citizen that you wish your politicians were.Get involved with your local campaigns! There are often elections going on - for everything from school board trustees to federal representatives. All of these folks need help with their campaigns. Pick a candidate you trust to act honourably, and support them.Run for office yourself! If you’ve already done the top 3, you’ve built up a good base of folks that know and trust you - time to make a run at it yourself! If you get elected, you can change the government from the inside.Good luck!
What would it take for the US to be a less corrupted government?
Probably nothing short of outright revolution and a complete replacement of the system. It’s basically designed to be corrupt, and to prevent the citizens from interfering with that corruption in any meaningful way.If you’re looking for specific things, then fixing the voting system wrt congress and presidential elections to allow more than two parties would be a good start. Completely redesigning how the house of representatives works would be good too, since nobody needs 500+ worthless politicians hiding in a giant cockroach pile free from accountability.
Do corporations make government more corrupt?
Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion justifies the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United by pointing to the Internet.Justice Kennedy, The Decider, wrote:With the advent of the Internet… Shareholders can determine whether their corporation’s political speech advances the corporation’s interest in making profits, and citizens can see whether elected officials are ‘in the pocket’ of so-called moneyed interests.He also said that disclosurepermits citizens and shareholders to react to the speech of corporate entities in a proper way. This transparency enables the electorate to make informed decisions and give proper weight to different speakers and messages.The court expressed enthusiasm that technology today makes disclosure “rapid and informative.”Yet, corporations are not required to make the disclosures to shareowners as Justice Kennedy seems to have believed. How can we, as shareowners, hold corporate managers accountable when we do not know what candidates or measures they are supporting?Dark money from undisclosed sources has a corrupting influence on government. Most of it comes from very rich individuals but a substantial portion also comes from corporations. Shareholder are increasingly demanding disclosure.
Why doesn t the Mexican government try to make Mexico a better place to be?
My Spanish teacher showed us a documentary about Mexicans illegally traveling across the border. In it, they said that the Mexican government has an entire program dedicated to helping them cross illegally. Why wouldn t they try to make the country a better place to live so people don t have to risk their lives and uproot their family to get to a place that will almost always send them back? Do they not care? Did the documentary get it wrong?
What kind of federal government do we have in America?
In the United States, our government is the system of power that acts on behalf of its people. The U.S. government was designed to serve the American people. Our government protects our rights and preserves our freedoms. Governments are set up to make and enforce laws. In this section, we will look at the basic types of governments in the world, yet the main emphasis will be placed on the understanding our American government system. In the United States there are three levels of government. The federal government (national level) makes and enforces laws for our nation. The fifty state governments (state level) make and enforce laws for their respective states. Each city or town in which a person lives has a city or town government (local level) that makes and enforces laws for their community. The most powerful of the three levels is our federal (national level) government.
Why do many Americans believe their country is corrupt when it is much less so than most countries?
Corruption is relative. It isn't ever ok even at relatively low levels found in most first world countries. Simply because a citizen is lucky enough to be in a first world country doesn't mean they can't or shouldn't work hard for a less corrupt level of politics. The battle never ends and eternal vigilance is necessary. Without regard to what might happen in Russia, UK, or Somalia, citizens need to look out for their political rights or they will always have a good chance to lose them. The United States, pretty much alone amongst first world countries, has more or less legalized bribery through our campaign funding and revolving door issues and has a political system that strongly encourages politicians to have a total lack of interest in anything other than the lives and problems of people who dispose of more than a few million dollars. This means that a government for hundreds of millions will constantly downgrade the living conditions of those people to funnel the money into a few people-even if not intentionally it happens by default due to almost nobody looking out for 99.77% of the country. If you think corruption is a problem that can go away or that doesn't get worse once it starts, think again. You can never let your guard down, somebody is always trying to steal our democracy Lucky Charms(tm). The fact that they largely succeeded in what may be a non reversible way shows that the diligence was more than necessary even here. Now, most laws in the US are simply purchased by monied parties and only get contested if there is a lobby group with some power opposed-nowhere in that calculus is any concern for rational government or anything but short term financial gain no matter the cost to the country. The third world country style corruption will happen here if the situation is not aggressively addressed now. It may already be too late, so no. We don't need to step it down. Democracy ebbs away from us every minute of every day without considerable citizen effort. I read laws and implement them all day and however great you think it is here, you might not want to know how bad it has gotten and how it intrudes into the daily lives of almost all of us making them worse. Government in general is necessary, but a government that coddles and forces corruption in particular is evil in effect. Bad government can doom the living conditions of any country on earth, even if it still stands and appears to be working from the outside.
Can regular US residents realistically make their government less corrupt? If yes, how?
Certainly.Here are some ideas:Pay bureaucrats more money - Instead of allowing industries to use government agencies as training grounds for future employees and lobbyists, pay people a decent wage so they won't be tempted to go out and earn more.Pay attention to what is going on - It's doubtful that most Americans can tell you who their local representatives are at any level. Those representatives know this and they soon gain contempt for the electorate. By demonstrating even a rudimentary knowledge of the issues and people involved in your local politics, you'll make it more difficult for corrupt people to slip into situations where they can enrich themselves at your expense.Turn off the talk radio programs They aren't making you more aware; they are making you a bigger idiot than someone who doesn't care. If you allows "X" ( fill in whatever talking head you like) to do your thinking for you, then you aren't thinking,are you?Make working for the government an honored position - Most people work civil service right now because they A) Can't get a decent private job B) Know that they can cash in on the lax scrutiny involved. If government service was an honor, more qualified and honest would consider it.