The seventies was a grating time for most Americans . The economy was tanking , inflation was out of control , and thanks to the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal , few masses had anything good to say about their government activity . Which is why prevision about the time to come from this era are so captivating .
No matter what your political persuasion in the 1970s , you probably had show a healthy mistrust of politico . The hereafter of politics was pretty dark , and radical changes seemed like the only answer to position the country back on cut . One place where we see these proposals for basal change isThe Tricentennial Report , a fascinating sample of American mental attitude from 1976 , put together by the oil company ARCO .
Over 60,000 Americans write in to express their opinions for The Tricentennial Report , which included everything fromletters to the future tense written by kidsto ideas for how politics in America might be reformed . Today we ’re lead a smell at the latter , which includes view on creating a quaternary branch of government , computerized voting , and completely rewriting the U.S. Constitution .
One of the most interesting letter comes from a military man in the Bay Area who explain that he hop Congress will become more “ reckoner orient ” in the future . Other than a quotation of modern politics being “ too slow , ” he does n’t really expand on how information processing system will aid the political operation . The letter seems to speak to a belief that if we could just remove some degree of human decisiveness - making from the process and insert estimator , things will run more efficiently and intelligently . From the vantage point of 2015 , when every Congressperson has the world ’s cognition at their fingertip , this notion seems particularly quaint .
The Tricentennial Report was included in a fourth dimension ejection seat that is n’t supposed to be opened until the year 2076 — the year of the American Tricentennial . So you did n’t get this sneak peek from me .
Rewrite the Constitution
We want to rewrite the Constitution . There have been so many discriminative determination that I doubt that the Constitution as now interpreted way either what the founding fathers thought it did or what we want it to stand for now . This country should not go to the judges and the clever attorney - it should belong to all of us . If we really intend to be govern by the consent of the govern , let us update the Constitution , write it so we can all understand it and eliminate the equivocalness . have us redo it and renew our commitment . I , for one , am ill of having non - elect officials “ interpret ” my rights and responsibilities .
Allan LeBaron
Moulton , Alabama
Understand the Purpose of Government
I conceive the fundamental question we must deal with in the future is , what is the determination of government ? Our politics was create by men who were political philosopher able-bodied to look at the reason for government and not at the trivial issue of what authorities should do for the people or what the people should do for the government . The purpose of governing is a necessary first statement upon which the issues of form , functions , rights , and responsibilities are deliberate . The need today is for all of us to understand the philosophies upon which our government was built so that we can more rationally regularise ourselves .
Sheldon H. Bergman
Indianapolis , Indiana
New Constitutional Convention
A Constitutional Convention should be held within the next ten years for reaffirm basic rights and establish unexampled priorities . I think this is essential if we are to survive to have a Tricentennial …
Get the reorganise Federal government out of local and regional issues . It should concentrate on truly internal matters , mankind affairs , and extraterrestrial development .
J. S. Young
El Cerrito , California
National Council of Elders
We should have a national Council of Elders , a group compose of able , saucy , come away individual , appointed for life , who would be responsible for manage studies of substitute path of action .
Fred Floodstrand
Crystal Falls , Michigan
Out With the Old…
Changes in Federal , state and city governments are long delinquent . I would like to see more honesty in government office holder and officials . I would wish to see some fresh vernal blood supplant some of the senior citizen whose action indicate their need for retreat …
Louis J. Fischler
Brooklyn , New York
Fourth Branch of Government
A fourth branch of government should be established . This branch would be known as the “ Board of Security , Law and Ethics . ” The members would be elect by the the great unwashed of each state and each state would elect one penis every four years with every fellow member having no chance of re - election . This dead body would have control condition over the FBI , CIA , the Attorney General and all law enforcement agencies within U.S. Jurisdiction . It would serve well as a check on the President , Vice President , the Cabinet , members of Congress in both business firm and members of the Justice Department ( including the Supreme Court ) , throughout the United States . Both these changes would require a variety of the Constitution , but I think it would lick a lot of our problems .
William A. Grant
Tigard , Oregon
Computers to Fix Congress
I believe that Congress will become more computer orient . In these political times , it is just too dull without computer . The last few Presidents have become very hefty because of this . I have hear several times about how our President has bypassed Congress . If this continues , Congress may soon be phase out of the American democracy . In the future tense , we will have a more forward-looking Congress . One that uses computers , hopefully .
Dan Marvin
Sunnyvale , California
Computers for Voting
My idea is a complete revamp of the way we elect President of the U.S. In the eld of computers , I can not see why the vote can not be carried down to the grass root … Most voters have social security routine and these numbers could be used for vote intention . The Electoral College would be abolished .
Rowland Rugeley
Enless , Texas
Let Kids Have Their Say
Kids should have a little part of the formula of the world . We should get a small say so around here . After all , we ’re who the world depends on in the future .
Billy Lohman
Lodi , California
Free Postage When Writing Congress
Extend the “ Franking Privilege ” to all citizen when writing their congressman .
Harry W. Wyche
Caseville , Michigan
Direct Budget Allocation by Citizens
My marriage proposal is unproblematic : along with the pattern 1040 , wherein the citizen is required to invest some portion of his income to the running of governing , admit a tilt of items on the propose budget for the fiscal year . Have the citizen put his full taxation bill at the top of the varlet and then pick out the dissimilar budget detail he wishes to see supported … The key is that in conclusion the citizens ’ opinion are being require . Each taxpayer would earmark so much of his own portion of government funds for each labor he sees fit . The governing would be charge with doing nothing more complex than see that each particular receives the amount designated by each taxpayer .
Ray Weiler
Rochester , New York
More Local Control
“ einsteinium Pluribus Unum”-one out of many . That is what this body politic was presuppose to be . It should be so on a local village level , through the Ithiel Town and city and up to the province spirit level , with each unit need care of its needs from taxes in that order . In that manner , each citizen and neck of the woods could make certain that it was regulate properly and keep a right restraint on government .
Harry Feinstein
Apathy in Elections
In the current Presidential election , we are attend democracy at work and it is an almost laughable example of inefficiency and thriftlessness . It is no wonder so many masses do not vote or , if they vote , insist upon being freelancer . They are utterly confused by the whole mess and many have write it off as not worth working at . The trouble is that remedy being proffer are usually in the focusing of less republic when what is needed is more efficiency .
Edna Coffin Choo
Pompano Beach , Florida
New Energy Solutions and Better Education
That American people have a greater sentience of the America that they are so much a part of . This state always rises to the occasion , but in late years it has been hard entreat to realise the occasion . I feel that for the Tricentennial , there is a pauperization for understanding in all American effort , be it the solving of the energy problems or a new and advanced case of computer architecture . Education of all the people will help the young and old have a rough-cut ground in understand the succeeding needs and need of this nation .
Terrence M. O’Brien
Edinboro , Pennsylvania
A Revival of Confidence in the American System
In this memorable 200th year of our internal life , nothing can be more of import than to get down a revitalisation of confidence and impression in our arrangement before apathy and cynicism swing out it off .
Will Golden
Studio City , California
Illustration scan from the Tricentennial Report ( 1977 )
1970sPoliticiansPolitics
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