In the US the people have the right to vote but the electoral system has become so corrupt the peoples vote is irrelevant. Big money interests select who runs for office, underwrite their campaigns & once elected enact legislation, regulations, oversight & enforcement to benefit those interests. The American people need to demand an electoral system un-corrupted by moneyed interests so the peoples agenda could be implemented.

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Image of lobbyist shaking hands with elected official

This past Spring Russia amended its constitution with the Duma (legislature), the Constitutional Court and the 85 federal subjects approving it.

Over the last few days in what Russian President Vladimir Putin calls a "confirmatory plebiscite" some 70% of the Russian people voted overwhelmingly in favor of the amendments.

The plebiscite on the amendments wasn't necessary but Putin decided it was necessary to get public legitimacy.

This piece is not a polemic on the positives or negatives of what Russia has done to amend its constitution. That is for Russia and its people to decide.

No. The argument put forth here regards the US, its electoral system, voting by the people and the rights granted to them in the Constitutions 15th, 19th and 24th Amendments i.e. the 15th giving former slaves the right to vote, the 19th giving women the right to vote and the 24th eliminating the poll tax which prevented minorities and poor people from voting in the former states of the Confederacy.

In the US, though the people have the right to vote, the electoral system has become completely corrupted by the influence of big moneyed interests.

That's because the people chosen to run for office are mostly selected by the big moneyed interests who then underwrite their campaigns. Then once elected the legislation they enact, the regulations, oversight and enforcement goes to the benefit of those big moneyed interests, while the peoples interests are largely ignored or at best given lip service.

As an example in polls the people overwhelmingly want universal health care, essentially a Medicare for all health care system. Something that exists in every other western democracy.

However in the US a costly private health care system prevails because the lobbyists of the private health care behemoths have the Congress in their pocket preventing a Medicare for all system from being implemented much less put on the agenda.

The Congress and the big corporations are a revolving door. If a legislator is defeated at the polls, no problem. He, she goes to work for some corporate giant as a lobbyist to exert influence on existing office holders.

This is the result of a so called "free" electoral system that prevails in the US. An avalanche of billionaire money, big corporate money, unaccounted for "dark" money, foreign money reveals the existing electoral system is so corrupted it is irredeemable, beyond reform. It needs to be overhauled root and branch.

Yet the people, a minority, still vote believing they have a say in their governments decisions. They don't. A system so devious in its deception it's ingenious in a nefarious way.

The American people don't need a Russian type constitutional system.

The American people have a Constitution, if only it were followed and adhered to. They have the right to vote established in the Constitution. The problem is the electoral system has become so corrupted their vote is irrelevant.

Both dominant parties, the Dems and Repubs control the electoral system essentially preventing a 3rd party from being a challenge to the existing order.

A few progressives may be elected to the Congress but they have no power, no influence to change things as the overwhelming corrupted majority dictate every outcome.

The American people need to demand an electoral system uncorrupted by moneyed interests so the peoples agenda could be implemented.

The question is what are the chances of that happening?

Authors Website: dglefc22733@aol.com

Authors Bio:
Retired. The author of "DECEIT AND EXCESS IN AMERICA, HOW THE MONEYED INTERESTS HAVE STOLEN AMERICA AND HOW WE CAN GET IT BACK", Authorhouse, 2009