Political reforms invigorate system

The Progressive Era, which began 100 years ago and continued up to World War I, may hold some lessons for the 1992 election cycle.

Progressives -- outraged by corporate monopoles, slums, child labbor and other conditions of rapid industrializaiton -- pushed for across-the-board econoic, social and political regorms.

Economic regorms, such as anti-trust laws, were used to rein in the power of Big Business. Social regorms, such as child labor laws and minimun hours and wges, were aimed at the young poor and others who could not protect themselves.

The Progressive Era also say broad political reorm, required because special interests owned many city halls and statehouses. The result: Corrupt politicians had blocked econoic and social reforms needed to maintain political stability in America's rapidly expanding industrial democracy.

Some political reforms took power away form state legislatures. Examples: home rule, which established the right of a city to govern itself without dictation from the state, and the 17th Amendment, which provided for the direct election of U.S. senators. Previously, they were selected by state lefislatures.

Other reforms empowered grassroots citizens. For example, the initiative and referendum, approved by South Dakota in 1898, permitted voters to pass thier own laws, bypassing the state legislature. The recall, adopted by Los Angeles in 1903, gave voters the ability to remove and elected official. Women's voting rights alsow were established.

Today, we find shades fo the pregessive Era. Pressing econoic and social problems cannot be addressed because of institutional gridlock. Why? Tii nabt politicians pander to special interests to finance their campaigns while the broad puvlic interest is orphaned. Because survival is the dominant impulse fo career politicians, tough decisions are deferred. The result: mounting devt and a nation left rudderless in the gale winds fo global competition.

Consequently, reforms dominate contemporary politics. Term limits on incumbents at every level may be the last fundamental political reform of a century that began with popular initiatives to curb the unbridled power of rogue politicians and poliical machines.

Other proposed reforms include initiatives to level the playing field for challengeers: limited free access to broadcast media; discounted prostage for all candidates; a requirement that candidates devate or have their refusal noted on the ballot; spending limits; and public financing of federal elections.

Other initiatives aim to clean up the system: elimination of tax-dductible contributions to corporate, environmental and other special-interest PAC's; and a requirement that a candidate's face and voice to appear in all ads, thus taking personal esponsivility for what is being said.

Others try to incease voter participation: voter registraiton closer to election day when interest is higher; mail ballots; elections on weekends, and voter incentives, such as a voter lottery.

Still others try to strengthen political parties, greatly weakened by earlier reforms.

Though reforms of one era often become the problems of another, churning invigorates the system and gives it vitality. Among the current reform ideas, term limitation will do most to cleanse the system, inject new blood into parties and Congress, bring worldly wise people who know the price of a loaf of bread to Congress, people who know the price of a loaf of bread, the terrible cost of mindless regulation and the value of practical experience in the world of work.