When is it time to press the reset button on government?

Let me explain. When I mention a reset button relating to government I'm referencing the ability of voting-age citizens to free themselves from the shackles of centuries of compounded legislation and rooted corruption by restoring, or resetting their government to its foundation, or framework. Consider the process of renovating a building - you would tear out the old drywall, plumbing, electrical wiring, fixtures, etc., down to the supports in order to replace them with newer/stronger materials thus making the building itself look like new. The product of a reset button used this way is being able to work with a clean slate while preserving the underlying government structure and inherent liberties. As most governments I'm aware of don't have an actual reset policy in place to facilitate something like this we have to dive into the realm of political theory a bit to take a look.

Make no mistake - I am not talking about sounding the trumpet of a civil war, or using violence as a means of resetting the system. If you're looking for articles like that then you're going to be sorely disappointed.

You're an idiot. Next question.

Let's take the United States as a practical example. It begins with a constitutional amendment. o_O Hey, I never said it was going to be easy. We're talking about resetting the government to its foundation state + ratified amendments. Nothing about this process is going to be easy, or even simple for that matter. The bottom line is if citizens cannot rally enough public support to pass an amendment then the whole process is for naught in the first place as there won't be enough support to enact the change necessary to restore the system.

Getting back to the nitty-gritty you may be wondering why the process has to begin with as difficult a step as a constitutional amendment. There are three primary reasons for this:

1. To start the process. The existing legislative and executive bodies - perhaps even the judicial body - along with the influence from the mainstream media and lobbyists would most likely resist any such effort to reset the government since it would mean abolishing their own legislation, executive orders/memorandums, and certain court rulings, so trying to make this change through the traditional avenues won't work. Knowing this we the people would call a Constitutional Convention during which we can propose and vote upon the amendment to reset the system. In short a constitutional amendment ensures we have the constitutional authority to kick-start the process over the inevitable objections from the powers that be.
2. To preserve the changes. It would ensure future legislation doesn't undue, or roll back the changes made by resetting the system. They could only be repealed by another amendment thus requiring it be the will of the people rather than the whim of politicians.
3. To establish the precedent. Once the amendment is ratified future generations could repeat the process should they be faced with similar circumstances without having to propose a new amendment.

The next step is selecting the most succinct legislation to go in the amendment. Think of this in computing terms as building an all-in-one solution that is ready to go out of the box - no additional components, or complicated setup required. Just plug it in and you're ready to go. The amendment must be an encapsulated package of laws that accomplishes the system reset without relying on any input, or intervention from current and future legislatures. Here is an example of what this amendment could look like from a bird's eye view:

• Section 1: establish an additional explicit method of government oversight. In particular establish a transparent vote collection and counting system for federal elections (to eliminate voter fraud), and sanction non-political watch dog groups to monitor the process as well as every government agency created (they report their findings to the people and to the Congress, but are governed by the people of the states in which they reside and cannot be stonewalled by wayward politicians/agencies).
• Section 2: schedule special national elections. Arrange elections for all federal offices (i.e. President, Senators, Representatives, Supreme Court Justices) to be held within one year after ratification.
• Section 3: secure pertinent budget. Set aside a one year budget for the military, national debt payments, and programs vital to an individual's survival that were previously promised such as social security and VA payments, pensions, etc.
• Section 4: arrange for the safe handling of all materials relating to national security. This includes keeping the secret identities of foreign operatives, classified information, etc., out of harm's way through a seamless integration into a new agency.
• Section 5: purge the federal government of all non-military agencies, departments, personnel, and legislation. All federal agencies and departments (e.g. DEA, DHS, NSA, IRS, EPA, FCC, FBI, CIA) will be abolished in tandem with the adoption of Sections 1, 2, and 4. All federal offices are to be vacated and subsequent personnel (e.g. President/Vice-President, Congressional Representatives, Senators, Supreme Court Justices, cabinet members, department/agency staffers) resign in tandem with the swearing in of new officials from Section 2. All legislation, executive orders and memorandums, and agency regulations not specifically protected in Section 4 are hereby repealed to be replaced, as needed, as the new Congress deems appropriate.
• Section 6: implement Congressional budget and US currency reform. Back our currency (US dollar) with precious metals (e.g. gold, silver, and platinum) and eliminate federal credit/loans requiring more than two years to repay. In essence no Congress can henceforth propose legislation that imposes debt upon the next Congress, hence the two year max stipulation.

Again this is only a brief example of how a reset button, or process, could be implemented. Keep in mind that each section of this amendment would be broken down into several clauses that are designed to facilitate an environment with zero downtime of pertinent operations such as national security and managing what would essentially be a new Veterans Administration without interrupting payments to veterans. There are also several additional points that would need to be addressed such as removing the influence of money from the election process by setting strict private fundraising limits thus limiting the influence of lobbyists and super PACs, creating a cable network/channel for each candidate that airs free political ads 24/7 (each campaign would still have to make their respective ads for their channel), have the states host each presidential debate on a network outside of the media networks (thus eliminating any ratings scandals as all revenues generated pay for the cost of hosting the event and running the campaign networks/channels), and require each moderator to be an expert in at least one industry in the private sector. Finally any additional amendments should also be proposed during this time.

Perhaps you noticed that this question wasn't answered yet. That's because I felt it necessary to run through the theoretical process involved with the reset button before giving my opinion as to when it should be used because in truth there doesn't exist one set time when it should be, but rather a series of events that paint a broader picture of the nation as a whole. This picture is the measurement from which to make that determination. I think it's time to press the reset button on government when the majority of the following statements become true:

• My vote doesn't seem to matter anymore;
• Hope is fleeting in the election process as it usually results in more of the same;
• No matter which candidate(s) I elect he/she doesn't seem to make a difference;
• The branches of power selectively administer their checks and balances;
• Laws of the land are selectively upheld and/or dismissed on the whim of government agents;
• My government is seldom held accountable for its actions;
• The voice of the minority is consistently represented over that of the majority;
• The standard of justice is stricter for me than it is for members of another political party, or for elected officials;
• Some government agencies have grown to wield similar power over my liberties as the Congress itself has and work at times outside of Congressional oversight, or approval;
• Legislation is overly complex and is routinely signed into law without being thoroughly vetted;
• Legislation becomes contradictory to the framework;
• The framework (Constitution) is viewed by elected officials as being merely symbolic, outdated, and/or irrelevant;
• It doesn't feel like my country anymore.

So I pitch the question back to anyone reading this - do you think it's time to press the reset button on government?