202409301257
Status: #idea
Tags: #politics
# Political systems decay because they lack a system of rejuvenation
[[Market capitalism is powerful because it defines a system of continuous rejuvenation]]
The contents of a political system, however, generally cannot be replaced without replacing the system itself. This is increasingly true as the federal government increases in size and bureaucratic organizations & individuals persist across different presidential administrations. Elections should be intended to drive this renewal, with one government replaced by another, but the federal bureaucracy ensures that the bulk of the government is *not* changed after each presidential elections.
Moreover, lack of appointment length for Supreme Court justices or term limits for senators ensures that much of the governmental administration stays constant. This is especially true as mass democracy has taken hold, with uninformed voters simply voting for whichever name they find most recognizable (which is usually the incumbent).
As such, our sclerotic governmental system does not evolve and, like in state capitalism or communism where new, more efficient companies cannot arise to replace the old, we see our institutions gradually decaying and becoming less effective over time.
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# References