LABORATORY OF DEMOCRACY

Key Points

• Voters rank candidates 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice instead of picking just one
• If no candidate gets 50%+, lowest candidate eliminated and their votes redistributed
• Process repeats until someone achieves majority support
• Reduces strategic voting and "lesser of two evils" problem
• Implemented successfully in Alaska, Maine, and dozens of cities

The Problem

Our current plurality voting system forces voters into binary choices and punishes third-party candidates. A candidate can win with 35% support if the opposition is split. This creates negative campaigning, extreme polarization, and prevents new voices from competing.

The Solution

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) lets you vote your conscience without "wasting" your vote. Love a third-party candidate? Rank them first. Still want to influence the major-party outcome? Rank your backup second. This system rewards building broad coalitions and reduces attack ads—candidates want to be voters' second choice too.

Evidence from Alaska and Maine shows RCV increases voter satisfaction, reduces negative campaigning, and enables more diverse candidate fields. It's not about helping one party—it's about making democracy work better for everyone.

Key Points

• Focus on 5-6 high-density corridors: Northeast, California, Texas Triangle, Midwest, Southeast
• 220+ mph service makes rail competitive with flying for trips under 500 miles
• Public infrastructure, private operations model (similar to airports)
• Reduces airport congestion, lowers carbon emissions, spurs development along routes
• Estimated $200-300B investment over 15 years, revenue-positive long-term

The Problem

Americans are stuck in a false choice between expensive flights and tedious drives for medium-distance travel. Routes like LA-San Francisco, Boston-DC, Dallas-Houston take 1-2 hours flying (plus 2+ hours for security/boarding) or 4-8 hours driving. We're the only major developed economy without modern rail infrastructure.

The Solution

Build true high-speed rail on proven corridors where it makes economic sense. LA to San Francisco in 2.5 hours. Boston to DC in 3 hours. Houston to Dallas in 90 minutes. Use existing right-of-way where possible, proven international technology, and public-private funding models.

Unlike failed past attempts, this approach focuses on corridors where rail is actually competitive, uses standardized international designs (no reinventing the wheel), and structures financing to repay investment through fares and development value capture. Japan, France, Spain, and China prove this works—we just need the political will to copy their homework.

Key Points

• End mandatory minimums for non-violent offenses
• Expand drug courts and mental health diversion programs
• Incentivize states to reduce prison populations while maintaining public safety
• Second Chance tax credits for employers hiring formerly incarcerated
• Invest savings from reduced incarceration into community policing and prevention

The Problem

America has 5% of the world's population but 25% of its prisoners. We spend $80 billion annually on incarceration—yet our recidivism rate is 44% within one year of release. We're creating a permanent underclass while spending more than it would cost to send every prisoner to Harvard.

The Solution

Follow the evidence from states like Texas and Georgia that have reduced incarceration while maintaining or improving public safety. Drug addiction and mental illness are health problems, not criminal problems. Treatment costs less and works better than prison.

For non-violent offenders, structured rehabilitation programs cut recidivism in half compared to traditional incarceration. Aggressive employer incentives help formerly incarcerated people reintegrate into society. Research shows every dollar spent on prevention and rehabilitation saves $4-7 in avoided incarceration costs.

This isn't being "soft on crime"—it's being smart on crime. Keep violent offenders locked up. Get everyone else the help they need to become productive citizens.

Key Points

• Every new federal regulation must be offset by eliminating two existing regulations
• Sunset clauses: all regulations expire after 10 years unless explicitly renewed
• Cap total regulatory costs as percentage of GDP
• Independent cost-benefit analysis required before implementation
• Small business exemptions for regulations under $100M impact

The Problem

The Code of Federal Regulations contains over 180,000 pages. Nobody knows what all the rules are, much less how to comply. Regulatory compliance costs American businesses $1.9 trillion annually—about $15,000 per household. Big corporations hire lawyers. Small businesses give up or never start.

The Solution

Adopt Canada's "One-for-One Rule" on steroids. For every regulation added, two must go. This forces prioritization—if a new rule is truly important, prove it by cutting old ones. Add sunset provisions so regulations don't accumulate forever. Most were written for problems that no longer exist or use methods now obsolete.

This isn't about eliminating safety or environmental protections—it's about eliminating absurd requirements like the FDA regulation that kraft cheese slices must be between 0.43 and 0.91 inches thick. Outdated rules primarily benefit established players who can afford compliance while crushing potential competitors.

Key Points

• 100% voluntary—no conscription or mandatory service
• Multiple tracks: military, infrastructure, teaching, healthcare, conservation
• Full college tuition coverage or $50K education voucher upon completion
• Living stipend, housing assistance, job training, and career placement
• Preference for federal employment and contract work

The Problem

Young Americans increasingly grow up in ideological and economic bubbles, never working alongside people from different backgrounds. We lack a shared civic experience that builds social cohesion. Meanwhile, millions struggle to afford education or enter the workforce without connections or experience.

The Solution

Create an attractive voluntary option: serve your country for 1-2 years in exchange for full educational benefits and career support. Military service, teaching in underserved areas, infrastructure projects, healthcare work in rural communities, conservation corps—multiple paths to serve.

The benefits are mutual. Participants get job training, life experience, network building, and education funding. America gets needed service in understaffed areas, stronger civic bonds, and a generation that's worked alongside people from different backgrounds toward common goals.

This isn't AmeriCorps (too small, minimal benefits) or conscription (violates individual liberty). It's a genuine opportunity to serve, learn, and earn real benefits. Countries with similar programs—Israel, Singapore, Switzerland—show strong civic outcomes without compulsion.

Key Points

• Tiered work visa system ($2,500-$25,000 annually, employer-paid) matched to skill levels
• Dual pathways: purchase permanent residence ($100K) and citizenship ($500K), or earn through points over 8-20 years
• 70%+ automated points via IRS/FBI integration—rewarding employment, English, civics, community service
• No country quotas—first-come-first-served eliminates decades-long backlogs
• Strong employer accountability: $150K penalties, mandatory fee disclosure, whistleblower protections
• Worker mobility: 90-day job transition grace periods; permanent residents get full job mobility
• State flexibility: ±20% visa allocation adjustments based on documented labor needs
• Self-funding: $8-9B annual revenue generating $2.6-3.6B federal surplus after funding border security
• Integration requirements: Heavy weighting for English (35 points), civics (15 points), community service
• Multiple routes: Accommodates wealthy investors, skilled professionals, and working-class immigrants
• Transparent "MyPoints" portal for real-time progress tracking—no more opaque bureaucracy
• Race/ethnicity blind with statistical monitoring to prevent discrimination

The Problem

America's immigration system is broken. Decades-long backlogs trap families in limbo. Arbitrary lotteries determine who gets opportunities. Skilled workers can't get visas while employers desperate for labor turn to unauthorized hiring. Per-country quotas mean a Mexican engineer waits 20 years while slots go unused in other countries. Workers are tied to abusive employers with no mobility. Nobody knows where they stand or what pathway exists to citizenship.

The Solution

Create a transparent, market-based system with clear rules and multiple pathways. Employers who need workers can sponsor them—paying market-rate fees that fund the system and prove genuine need. Workers accumulate points automatically through tax compliance, English proficiency, passing civics tests, community service, and working in underserved areas. No arbitrary quotas or opaque bureaucracy.

The system offers flexibility: wealthy investors can fast-track through direct payment, skilled professionals can balance time and money, and working-class immigrants can earn status through sustained commitment and integration. Real-time digital tracking means everyone knows exactly where they stand and what they need to do next.

This approach respects both security and opportunity. The entire system is self-funding—generating billions in surplus revenue for border security and integration services. Heavy emphasis on English language and civic knowledge ensures immigrants become Americans, not just residents. By eliminating country quotas and using clear merit criteria, we reward contribution over connections while giving Congress control over total numbers through visa class caps.