A Journey for Reform

Change the conversation

I started on this journey not knowing exactly what it was. First, it was reading, then writing, then politics. In the beginning, I had a feeling the problem was Congress, but I wasn’t sure. So, while door-knocking for local candidates and Glenn Youngkin in 2021, after asking the standard questions: Will you vote for the GOP lineup of candidates, and do you like mail-in voting? I asked, "What do you think about Congress?” It was something everyone seemed to agree on–– nobody liked Congress. 

While local and national parties were focused on the President, I made Congress my focus of study. I even ran for Congress. I spent time talking to strangers and new and old friends about Congress in coffee houses, hotel lobbies, and breweries in red and blue neighborhoods. Sometimes, I asked questions, and sometimes, I shared ideas. Each conversation has its own flow, but person after person confirmed that Congress is the problem.

Congress is responsible for safeguarding our sovereignty, writing laws, managing the purse, and executive oversight. However, our border is overrun, citizens are over-regulated, the country is drowning in debt, and the executive branch has far too much power. Congress suffers from problems with representation, incentives, and an imbalance of power that must be addressed to stabilize our republic.

If Congress is the problem, then congressional reform is the solution. But when I spoke with people in politics, they didn’t believe congressional reform would happen because it’s complicated to sell to voters. Looking back, I realize now that some people didn’t believe average voters could understand the reforms needed, and others didn’t understand themselves, so they brushed it off.

I didn’t let it discourage me. (Ok, maybe I let it discourage me a little.) I kept studying works from incredible political thinkers from our past, like James Madison, John C. Calhoun, and John Bingham, and our present, like Philip Wallach, Kevin Kosar, James Wallner, and Yuval Levin. The past thinkers believed Congress and the people are the driving force of our Republic, and the present thinkers agree with the people that Congress is the problem. Our present thinkers have many great ideas on how to make congressional reform a reality.

I have discussed some congressional reform ideas, like uncapping the House of Representatives and election reforms, with average citizens, politicians, journalists, and think tankers. While not everybody initially supported or understood the reforms, person after person has come around to the necessity of congressional reform.

Nearly four years of reading, writing, and great conversations with voters and political theorists have taught me that Congressional reform is not only needed, but the timing is now. Voters are ready for something serious.

Congressional reform can happen, but not without support from the people. If you are among the 76% of Americans who disapprove of Congress and believe it needs reform, consider helping me on my journey by signing up for a paid subscription. By doing so, you will help bring the issue of congressional reform to the forefront of national politics. In return, I will send you ideas from great political theorists like James Madison and Yuval Levin to your inbox, helping you decide what reforms Congress should adopt. My commitment is to create a serious place where parents can feel comfortable engaging in politics.

One of my favorite television characters is Mad Man Don Draper, a person flawed with vice and gifted with virtue. He said, “If you don’t like what is being said, then change the conversation.”  Together, we change the conversation.