The Nature of Government

The T.O.S.S. Party makes the claim that most government today does NOT work for us-the citizens-as it should. But when we say that government doesn’t work, what are we talking about?

What exactly is “government” in the first place?

In one sense, it’s a large number of massive organizations operating at different political levels tasked with enormous responsibilities carried out by hundreds of offices, branches, agencies and departments staffed by hundreds of thousands of people. In another, more important sense, it’s a large number of individuals who do the actual governing. People who make laws. People who set policy. People who make decisions affecting us all. People who spend our tax dollars. It’s these people we’re referring to when we talk about “government” not working.

These people are the problem.

Why? Because, despite whatever oath of office they may take, their allegiance is not to us, the people they’re supposed to serve. Their allegiance lies, first and foremost, to those that made it possible for them to get in office in the first place. No, not the voters. Their own political party. Think about it. All those who actually govern in this country are either elected to office, or appointed to it by those who are elected. And just about every one of these people belongs to one of two political parties; the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. With very few exceptions, if you’re not a member of those two parties, you’re not going to be elected to office. You’re not going to be appointed to office. You’re not even going to be considered for office. You’re not going to participate in American government.

You’re not going to govern.

These two parties, and only these two parties, call just about all the shots politically. So, despite its enormous complexity, size, power, and scope of responsibilities, government in this country has essentially become an extension of these two parties. The only thing we do on Election Day is send one of “the chosen ones” into office. Adding insult to injury, we even pay all the costs for doing so. Our tax dollars fund the elections, and our donations support the candidates. We are actually paying for lousy government. But lousy or not, government is either Democrat or Republican.

Others need not apply.