The 250th birthday of the United States ought to be a time for reflection of how our system of representative government is faulty.

1. The United States is the only nation in the world with elections for a national legislative body, in which adult citizens of the capital city have no voting representation. That violates every value of the Constitution and the other founding documents of the nation.

2. The United States is the only nation in the world in which candidates for chief executive officer appear on ballots, and yet the person who comes in second is sometimes proclaimed the winner over the candidate who places first.

3. Even though the Constitution says that anyone who meets the age, residence, and citizenship requirements can run for either House of Congress, one state, Georgia, does not permit anyone but a Republican or a Democratic nominee to run for U.S. House. The existing 5% law for other candidates is 83 years old and has never been overcome by a minor party candidate, and has not been overcome by an independent candidate since 1964, when the rules were easier. Evidence has been presented to judges in Georgia that at least twenty candidates have made vigorous attempts to qualify, and they have all failed. The Eleventh Circuit’s response in 2022 was to rule that states have a “compelling” interest in preventing candidates who don’t have huge support from running. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to disturb this ruling.