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What about our democracy

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Tuesday, 12 November 2024

Written by Margaret Dickson

Americans now know who our next President will be, and plans are well underway for the new administration—who will have a part in it and what they hope to achieve. In the meantime, we, the people, have some thinking to do ourselves.
Germany’s Wurzburg University has developed a Democracy Matrix, a tool for measuring the quality of democracies in nearly 200 nations around the world. Nations are classified as Working Democracies (35 in 2020) and Deficient Democracies (36-81). Everyone else (82-176) is some version of hybrid or autocracy.
Suffice it to say, the United States has not done itself proud, placing # 36 at the top of the Deficient Democracy list. It is a poor and embarrassing showing, but at least better than the lowest-ranked nation, Eritrea, a Hard Autocracy. The top 5 democracies in the world are Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Germany, with other European nations, several Asian countries, and a few Caribbean islands rounding out the Working Democracy list.
The state of our United States democracy now and in the future was a hotly debated issue during the Presidential campaign, with ugly words exchanged among candidates, families, and friends, some with painful and long-lasting consequences. There are measures, though, that we can consider and possibly take to protect and improve our democracy.
We must understand and acknowledge that while our Constitution has been the model for other democracies that followed our lead, it is neither infallible nor sacrosanct. It was conceived and written by educated white men in the 18th century who were creating a new form of government that did not address most people, including women and people of color. It is rife with compromises made to reach consensus agreements. The US has adopted only 27 Constitutional amendments in more than 2 centuries, while other more recent and higher ranked democracies view their constitutions as works in progress needing adjustments as time moves forward.
Two Harvard political scientists, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, suggest several structural changes to our government in their book, Tyranny of the Minority. One is to elect our Presidents by popular vote, not through the Electoral College, a compromise structure established to keep less populous states from being overpowered by their more populous neighbors. Another is to establish term limits for members of the US Supreme Court. Very few other nations allow life-time political appointments, and few have decision-makers serving into their 90s. The authors also note that the US Senate, like the Electoral College, provides far more clout to less populated states than to more populated, again a Constitutional compromise more than 250 years ago. For example, our least populous state, Wyoming, has the same number of US Senators as our most populous state, California, giving the almost 600 individual Wyoming citizens far more representation than the almost 39-M individual Californians. The political scientists also note that some democracies have done away with their “upper chambers” altogether,” retaining one chamber with representation by population. Both Denmark and Finland have one legislative chamber.
Such changes would require Constitutional amendments, no small achievement. Amendments to our Constitution require a 2/3s vote by Congress and then approval by 2/3 of the states, within 7 years. In other words, it a long and arduous process. The last Constitutional amendment attempted, the Equal Rights Amendment, passed Congress in 1972 but failed when the state approval clock timed out.
As the dust settles on this contentious and painful election year, we Americans of all political stripes would be wise to seek ways to make our government and our elections more responsive to all citizens of the United States.
It is also worth noting that the Harvard political scientists have another book, also about democracies. It is called How Democracies Die: What History Reveals About Our Future.

Celebrating Nov. 5: Happy Guy Fawkes Day

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Tuesday, 05 November 2024

Written by Pitt Dickey

Psst! Want to hear a Guy Fawkes story? Never heard of him? Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Guy, 36 barrels of gun powder, and a pack of matches. Today’s column will rear its ugly head in print on 6 November.
Coincidentally, this is the day after America voted for President and the day after Guy Fawkes Day in England. As of the writing of this column, nobody knows who will be the next President. When the column appears it remains unlikely anyone will know who the President will be.
America’s post-election days of rage will just be beginning. Perhaps Guy’s experience can offer us some perspective on what to expect. Someone said history doesn’t repeat itself but occasionally rhymes. See rhyme at end of column.
Take a ride in Mr. Peabody’s Way Back Machine to return to 5 November, 1605 when Guy and his buddies were hoping to blow up the British Parliament. 1605 was not a great time to be a Catholic in England.
Queen Elizabeth I had been repressing Catholics by banning them from celebrating mass or getting married in their church. She managed to get herself excommunicated by the Pope for her troubles.
When she died in 1603, King James I took the throne. He was even harder on Catholics than Queen Liz. King Jimmy’s momma, Mary Queen of Scots, was a Catholic. Queen Liz had Mary executed. Jimmy was not a big fan of the Catholic Church.
Guy and his buddies decided it was time for a change. They hatched the Gunpowder Plot to blow up Parliament on its opening day along with King Jimmy and his court. It was like America’s January 6 Protesters on steroids.
The real leader of the Plot was a dude named Robert Catesby. Guy Fawkes gets all the publicity instead. Chalk it up to the vagaries of history. Like Jack Torrance at The Overlook Hotel in “The Shining,” Guy got a job as the caretaker of the cellar located below the House of Lords’ Chamber in Parliament.
The plan was to bring in a bunch of gunpowder to blow Parliament, the King, and the House of Lords into little tiny smithereens. Think of Wile E. Coyote sitting on a giant pile of Acme Brand dynamite. It was to be crude but effective.
The plan was for Guy to light a long fuse to the gunpowder, then high tail it across the River Thames to watch the fireworks from the other side. Chaos would ensue. The government would be emptied of leaders except for tiny chunks of well done royalty. No one would be left in charge.
Guy and his buddies could then start a rebellion to set up a new pro Catholic government. They would kidnap King Jimmy’s daughter Elizabeth and force her to marry an eligible Catholic dude. This would then bring a Catholic King back into power. Seems to be an excellent plan. But to quote Mike Tyson: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”
Unfortunately for Guy, his plan got punched in the face before he could light his fuse. Someone sent an anonymous letter to a Catholic sympathizer warning him to stay away from Opening Day of Parliament.
The King’s men intercepted the letter and figured out there was trouble afoot. The King sent out a SWAT team to search Parliament. When they got to the cellar below the House of Lords, they found Guy sitting with 36 barrels of gunpowder and a pocket full of matches. It is likely Guy said a dirty word when he got caught.
Guy was tried for treason and sentenced to a grisly death by being tortured, then hanged, drawn, and quartered. Legend says that Guy jumped from the gallows to break his neck to avoid the inconvenience of being tied to four horses and having his limbs yanked from his body while still alive.
Parliament declared November 5th to be an annual day of celebration complete with bonfires, fireworks, parades and burning effigies of Guy. The Brits still celebrate it today.
Remember my promise of rhyming history? Forgot it, didn’t you? Little British children for the last 400 plus years celebrate Guy Fawkes Day by chanting: “Remember, remember, the Fifth of November/ Gunpowder treason and plot/ We see no reason/ Why gunpowder treason/ Should ever be forgot.”
Let us hope that America’s Fifth of November will not be quite as memorable as Guy Fawkes Day. A cataclysm by any other name would smell as sweet. Consider Rodney King’s eternal question: “Can’t we all just get along?” The answer is: Probably Not.

(Illustration by Pitt Dickey)

Promises made, promises kept

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Tuesday, 12 November 2024

Written by Kirk deViere

Kirk deViere's letter below reflects not only his heartfelt commitment to the people of Cumberland County but also the same exuberant sentiments of the majority of our readers.
His Promises Made-Promises Kept commitment is resonating positivity throughout Fayetteville and Cumberland County, and deViere articulates so precisely the kind of leadership Cumberland County needs, wants, and has sorely missed in the past decade.
It echoes my feelings that politics and politicians have become too polarizing, causing misguided priorities and resulting in governmental abuse, waste, and blatant disregard of the citizens they are supposed to represent.
We congratulate Commissioner-elect deViere on his impressive November 5th win and applaud his dedication to the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community.
Local voters have mandated intelligence, integrity, and common sense in the management of our county. Now, they have it.
"Now, let's get to work!"
Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper.
— Bill Bowman Publisher

Moving from campaigning to governing

As we transition from campaign season to governing, I am deeply grateful for the trust placed in me by the people of Cumberland County. I don't take this trust lightly.
While campaigns are about contrasts and choices, governing requires finding common ground and working together to deliver results.
I commit to being a leader for everyone — those who supported me and those who did not. The challenges facing our community don't care about party labels. Creating good jobs, clean drinking water, improving our schools, ensuring public safety, and housing that working people can afford require us to move beyond campaign rhetoric to find practical solutions.
I've always believed that the best ideas come from listening to the people we serve.
Please know that moving forward, I will continue to "show up" just like I have for many years and keep my "boots muddy," as this is the best way to understand the things that matter, not what we may think is important.
I'm also reaching out to colleagues on both sides of the aisle to discuss the priorities we shared on the campaign trail and in the community leading up to this election. While we may not always agree on the path to achieving these priorities, I believe we can find common ground to achieve them.
The real work begins now. Campaign promises must become concrete policies and results.
This requires careful analysis, thoughtful debate, and a willingness to compromise. I am committed to approaching this work with humility, integrity, and an unwavering focus on delivering results for the people who sent me here to serve, just as I did when I served in the state senate.
Together, we can move beyond the political rhetoric and labels to build a stronger, more prosperous community that works for everyone.
That's my commitment as we turn the page from campaigning to governing. Now, let's get to work.

(Photo: Kirk deViere has served North Carolina and Cumberland County in several capacities. He was elected as Cumberland County Commissioner on Nov. 5. Photo courtesy of Kirk deViere's Facebook page)

Which is wealthier: Germany or North Carolina?

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Tuesday, 05 November 2024

Written by John Hood

Although our state’s economy has grown faster than the national average over the past decade, not everyone has fared well. Some regions and communities are struggling — a condition now worsened in parts of western North Carolina by Hurricane Helene. Moreover, too many of our fellow North Carolinians lack the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to prosper even in our fastest-growing metros. Much work remains to be done.
Nevertheless, it is important to put such challenges in proper perspective. North Carolina’s problems aren’t structural. We have a wealth of human, cultural, and natural resources. Our policy infrastructure is fundamentally sound. Many other states, and countries around the world, would welcome our problems if they also came with our successes and advantages.
I’m not just talking about places you might normally associate with disadvantage, poverty, and despair. The average North Carolinian is wealthier, and has better prospects, than the average German.
No, I’m serious. According to a recently published study by the European Centre for International Policy Economy, North Carolina’s gross domestic product was approximately $60,000 per resident in 2021. Among the European Union countries with lower GDPs per capita than North Carolina’s were Germany, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Italy, and Spain.
More broadly, reports The Economist, American output per capita is currently about 40% higher than in Canada or western Europe and 60% higher than Japan. That gap between the U.S. and its peers is about twice as large as it was in 1990.
“Since the start of 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic, America’s real growth has been 10%, three times the average for the rest of the G7 countries,” the magazine observed. “Among the G20 group, which includes large emerging markets, America is the only one whose output and employment are above pre-pandemic expectations.”
International comparisons of economic output and incomes are, admittedly tricky. Different statistical adjustments for purchasing power will produce different rankings. There are other economic measures that tell a similar story, however. Our homes are quite a bit larger, for example, than is typical in European or East Asian countries. They’re more likely to be air conditioned and contain modern appliances and amenities.
Some years ago, the Pew Research Center compared living standards in the U.S. with those of other developed countries. By German standards, 72% of its residents can be classified as “middle income” — that is, their incomes are between two-thirds and double the median income in Germany — while 18% are classified “lower income,” living on less than two-thirds of the median. By this definition, Americans are less likely to be middle-class, and more likely to be poor, than Germans.
But again, on average, we earn more in real terms (partly because we work more hours, to be fair) and can afford a larger basket of goods and services. When the American income thresholds are applied to Germans, 63% of the latter are middle-income and fully a third are lower-income, a significantly higher share than ours.
None of this is to suggest that we have little of consequence to learn from other countries. Germany has an excellent system of apprenticeships and job-training programs. The education systems of such countries as South Korea and the Netherlands combine high academic standards with significant parental choice and competition, features that we are only now adopting.
Most European countries make extensive use of efficient private owner-operators for seaports, airports, rail lines, and other infrastructure. And a number of countries get a better bang for the buck on their health care expenditures than we do.
I’m all in favor of borrowing good ideas from wherever we can find them. But when it comes to economic performance as a whole, America remains a leader, not a laggard — with its recent growth powered by states such as Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas that boast many innovative companies and industries, healthy inflows of people and investment, and pro-enterprise policy environments.
For that, and for much else, North Carolinians should be grateful.

Editor’s Note: John Hood is a John Locke Foundation board member. His latest books, Mountain Folk and Forest Folk, combine epic fantasy with early American history (FolkloreCycle.com).