More Perfect Resolution

New Year’s Day is the closest thing the world has to a birthday. Like birthdays, it is a time for celebration and, as we get older, it is also a time for reflection.

For starters, New Year’s Day is a time to reflect on what is working well in our lives. The things we want to keep doing or doing more of. Next, it’s a time to think about what we want to stop doing because it is not supporting our goals, or worse, is counterproductive. And finally, it’s a time to think about new things we want to start. On a personal level, what we want to keep, stop, and start may mean many things, but let’s talk for a moment about what these might look like on a U.S. national scale.

There are a vast number of things about the United States that are worth keeping. High on this list is the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees our rights and is the blueprint for our unique system of government. Also on the list is the diversity of our people. The U.S. is not a melting pot, as we’ve often been described. We’re more of an “e pluribus unum” hearty stew or mixed salad. This diversity is key to our country’s strength because it is a source of both our ingenuity and resilience.

But there are some areas where the U.S. is not diverse, and one of these is its number of truly competitive political parties. Unlike most modern countries, the U.S. currently has only two major political parties. And this polarizing duopoly has deepened in recent years to the point where our government is gridlocked and ill-equipped to respond to the rapidly changing world.

So here is a worthy resolution for the U.S. in 2023 and beyond: To break up the polarizing and debilitating two-party stranglehold on our politics by creating additional viable parties. This is a resolution to which the Benjamin Franklin Party is wholeheartedly dedicated. And included in this resolution are supporting resolutions, such as the widespread adoption of Rank Choice Voting, multi-member congressional districts, and the return of civility to our body politic.

At the Benjamin Franklin Party, we believe in keeping what is great about America. We are careful not to throw out Baby New Year 2023 with the 2022 bathwater. But we also endeavor to continue the work of America’s founders in creating an ever “more perfect union.”

If breaking up political polarization and gridlock in 2023 is a resolution you support, then we invite you to join the Benjamin Franklin Party in making this a reality!

Yours in republic keeping,
James Carroll
BFPNC Chair