Idahoans revere democracy. Its the system of government our Founders created, and its proven to be a resilient one. For more than 200 years, it has withstood crises, bad leaders, even civil war. It has fostered freedom, growth, prosperity and peace. It has also been a beacon to the world.
But it takes work to keep it strong.
And in Idaho right now, democracy could use some help.
A democracy a democratic republic is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.
In the recent much-hyped GOP presidential caucus, a measly 39,584 people in the entire state participated. That is less than half the population of Twin Falls County.
That is only 6.8% of registered Republicans.
For a democratic republic a system of government that is supposed to involve everyone that is terrible.
But to Dorothy Moons GOP, that is surely not a surprise or a disappointment. As University of Notre Dame political scientist David Campbell noted, when participation in precinct caucuses is low, it is the most polarized people who are most likely to show up.
Primary elections attract more voters, but not nearly enough. Since 2016, for example, while an average of more than 76% of registered Idaho voters participated in the general elections, only 28% voted in the primaries. Thats just 19% of the voting age population.
Thats bad, too. Because, heres the thing and its an important thing:
Around these parts, primary elections are the ones that really matter. Almost without fail, whoever wins the primary and gets an R by their name will win the general election. Period.
When fewer people vote in the races that really matter, only a small sliver of the citizenry end up calling all the shots. That sounds a lot more like a different form of government one in which (according to dictionary.com), all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique.
Thats the definition of an oligarchy. It is government by the few.
Governments naturally tend to drift in that direction. Like a funnel which starts wide, but then narrows to a small point, the political power is gradually taken away from we the people and funneled into the hands of the few.
That certainly describes whats been happening in Idaho.
Here are a few of many recent examples.
Last summer the Idaho Republican State Central Committee purged the voting rights for the official representatives of Idahos Young Republicans, College Republicans, and Republican Women.
The top brass of the party hatched a plot to get rid of another leader who didnt line up with their way of thinking National Committeeman Damond Watkins. Straight out of a Batman and Joker movie, their orchestrated operation was sinister, sneaky, and dirty, including a stealth recording of him speaking in church. As reported in the Idaho Post Register, they also violated many party rules in the process.
All of this was in order that Idaho Freedom Foundation officer Bryan Smith could slide into the role.
And so the funnel of power narrows.
Heres another example. Any GOP official who doesnt line up behind the current leaderships peculiar definition of conservative can now be summoned before a platform enforcement tribunal, where they can be censured and stripped of party support.
These and other similar developments illustrate how power is moving down the funnel away from the people and toward the few.
One of the most consequential steps toward narrowing this funnel of power happened in 2012 when the Republican party closed its primary elections.
This essentially denied many Idahoans a voice. And not just the 270,000 independents who make up 30% of Idaho voters. Regular old-fashioned Republicans those who want to think for themselves, who arent as intensely political, and who just want good government also have less influence.
Candidates quickly learn that in order to win, they only have to listen to the loudest voices. They really dont need to pay attention to anyone else. A lot of regular folks are effectively shut out from the process.
Today were living with the results. Our political system is less responsive to average Idahoans. And it is more dysfunctional. We do still have many good leaders, but they are all swimming against this tide.
Far too many lawmakers are not interested in healthy, honest, respectful dialogue to try to solve problems. They spend their time and energy keeping us divided and angry, instead of doing the hard work of actually tackling real issues that impact the lives of everyday Idahoans.
A potential solution to this problem will likely be on the ballot this November the Open Primaries Initiative (OPI).
The initiative would establish an open primary where all voters would be free to participate. The top four vote-getters from the primary would advance to the general election. This, supporters say, would generate more competition between candidates and more options for voters.
The initiative also allows ranked choice voting in the general election.
The process is simple. Youll see four candidates on your ballot. Just like you do now, you will vote for your first choice candidate. But, if you choose, you will also have the option to rank the rest of the candidates in order of preference. Its a way to assign where your vote will go if your preferred candidate loses.
When its time to count the votes, the first choices on all ballots are counted. If a candidate wins over 50% of the vote, the race is over. That candidate is declared the winner.
But if no candidate gets to 50%, then theres an instant runoff without having to come back to vote again. Once again, its simple. The last place candidate is removed. If you had voted for that candidate, then, in the instant runoff, your vote will now go toward your second choice candidate.
This process repeats until someone gets more than 50% of the vote, or else only two candidates remain, and whoever has the most votes is declared the winner.
This means that, if you choose, your one vote is never wasted. This, supporters say, is an exciting advancement in our election process.
It also means that the winner will need support from a broad range of voters and not just a narrow slice. It will motivate candidates not just to listen to the loudest, angriest, most divisive voices, but also to tune in to those who might rank them as second choice. It seems likely that this will also help increase healthy, honest, respectful dialogue and tone down the toxicity.
It should help us choose more leaders who can actually solve problems and get things done.
Experience from around the country has shown that this surprisingly simple adjustment to the way we vote can really help heal our dysfunction, and strengthen our democracy. If OPI passes, advocates say, the power can start to flow back to the people rather than to the few at the small end of the funnel.
Its no wonder that they dont like it.
One surefire sign that the OPI is onto something good is the reaction of those now pulling the strings of power. For example, Bryan Smith of the Idaho Freedom Foundation admitted, If Idaho gets ranked-choice voting, were finished. Its that simple.
So, no more IFF schemes to destroy our schools and other public institutions? No more of their out-of-state dark money infiltrating Idaho? No more pulling the marionette strings of IFF-backed legislators? Hmmm.
That sounds good. Sign us up.
The more people who participate in the democratic process, says Professor Campbell, the better. Greater participation not only makes it more likely that there is a true cross section of citizens expressing their voices but also that their voices are civil.
We believe that in a democracy all voices matter not just the loudest and most divisive. More citizens participating in choosing our leaders would be a good thing. And more respectful voices would be a very good thing.
If youre intrigued about a practical way to help strengthen our democratic republic one that would be attainable soon then we suggest taking a long look at the Open Primaries Initiative. It could be just the thing democracy needs.
In the recent much-hyped GOP presidential caucus, a measly 39,584 people in the entire state participated. That is less than half the population of Twin Falls County. That is only 6.8% of registered Republicans. For a democratic republic a system of government that is supposed to involve everyone that is terrible.
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OUR VIEW: Democracy Could Use Some Help. This One Adjustment Could Be Just What We Need - Times-News