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Michael S. (Mike) Johnson

We recognize the wisdom that resides in readers, and we invite you to submit ideas that would improve the citizen’s connection to their member of Congress. Use the form below.

Jerome F. (Jerry) Climer

Share your creative thoughts about ways to improve Congress; campaign funding, the ratio of a Member to voters, the number of US Senators, or other aspects of the national legislature by using this form.

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Kosar and Wallner

While Mike Johnson and I offer more fundamental solutions to the ineffective US Senate in Fixing Congress, this piece by Kevin Kosar and James Wallner presents a quicker idea for tweaking that would not hurt:

Cy

Your book is a very important addition to making the electorate really aware of the issues facing our ability to govern in a Democratic Republic! I thought the structure of the book was logical, and the history, I’m sure, will be an eye-opener no matter where you sit on the partisan spectrum. Unfortunately, our populace is poorly educated, and what they take as fact or history is usually bent in one direction or the other, depending on the source. The section on potential solutions is clear and well stated, again, no matter where one’s political views emanate.

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Matt

It is really amazing…The fracturing of media: paper, TV, radio, digital is a strange phenomenon. I never thought I would miss the days of three major networks, but in today’s system, it’s much more difficult to find shared ground. It’s like every group that you are not familiar with might as well be speaking a foreign language. It becomes impossible to have any discussion because we’re all locked into our metaphorical cells or rooms.  In the past, we had a shared media to discuss; today, that has disappeared.

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Robert

Here’s an idea that might address the poor Congressman-to-resident communication gap discussed in your book, Fixing Congress.

It seems to me that for a member of Congress to truly represent their constituents, they need to hear from as many of their residents as possible. So why not use modern technology to achieve that goal?

Give each Member of Congress a list of registered voters’ email addresses and allow the congressperson to send digital surveys whenever important votes are coming up before committees or in Congress.

Each survey should offer objective pros and cons about the issue and enable the recipient to respond anonymously. Responses should not identify the sender, nor should the Congressman be able to respond. 

Similar systems could be used at state and local levels. Whether local or national, the goal is to create a system that enables and guarantees that each citizen’s voice can be heard if they desire to be heard.

This rapid, nearly cost-free electronic communication method directly informs the elected representative of the voters’ views—much better than the current 762,000 to 1 basis by letter or call. 

(Webmaster Note: The author has been asked to provide a more detailed explanation of this idea, which, if provided, will be posted on our Substack.)

Fixing Congress: Restoring Power to the People is available from Morgan James Publishing, Target, Amazon, Walmart, Books-a-Million, and most online bookstores, as well as through some local libraries.

“Both young people and working adults need a better understanding of an often-dysfunctional Congress that seems to have reached rock bottom in public esteem. Fixing Congress is a must-read for new voters and community leaders looking for solutions, not scapegoats.”

John Kornacki, PhD