Political Reform
As a result of growing partisanship, Congress is not doing the job it was elected to do.
Passing budgets, responsibly managing the nation’s finances, and making the decisions necessary to ensure that government functions at a basic level of efficiency are the jobs Congress is responsible for under the terms of the U.S. Constitution.
That said, political dysfunction has real costs, and discontent among Small-Business owners with their elected officials and the overall U.S. political machine continues to escalate.
Today, 88 percent of Small-Business owners say politics has become more partisan.
In today’s hyper-partisan era, when citizens are more politically divided and get more of their news and information from ideologically driven sources, we must find ways to work together for the common good.
Working solutions
Reducing the partisanship in Congress and transforming it into a higher-performing institution will not happen overnight—but some steps can be taken. Accordingly, NSBA recommends the following:
- Political contributions, including those made to outside and independent groups, should be disclosed so that citizens have full information about who is paying for the political messages they see.
- Congress should pass legislation requiring detailed disclosure of spending by congressional leadership PACs and mandating that leadership PAC funds be used solely for political activities and not for personal use.
- States should move to a more open process for redistricting and use neutral line-drawers in their redistricting process with opportunities for public comment.
- A strong committee process is necessary: committees should conduct legislative and oversight hearings, marking up legislation after receiving input from both sides and issuing committee reports.
- Fair and robust floor debate in the House and Senate must be reinstated to allow for debate, amendments and open discourse, followed by conference committee negotiations and final compromise language on legislation.
According to respondents of NSBA’s Technology Survey, 34 percent of Small-Business owners say they have completed a technology audit; 45 percent said they are independently responsible for their Small-Business technology security; and another 35 percent have fallen victim to a cyberattack already.
NSBA regularly conducts surveys among our members and SmallBusiness owners to produce insights that drive our Priority Issues and influence important initiatives in Washington and across the country.