Introduction to Line Item Voting

This concept begins by modernizing Congress so the whole voting procedure takes place by computer. This would allow us to process information, which opens the door for many new possibilities. Next we would change the rules over the voting procedure. Essentially, the new procedure would be like the line-item veto, but in reverse. Instead of the president making distinctions at the end of the process, Congress would make their own distinctions up front and fix the problem where it truly begins.

Here’s how it works. Each rep would bring the legislation to their screen. During a preparation period, perhaps a week, they would go through the legislation on a line-item basis, voting for those items they wished to support and against those they did not. As an option, comments could be attached to explain their decisions (these would appear in a personalized background record). This would allow each rep to truly vote their conscience; but on the flip side it would make them extremely accountable to the folks back home.

During the preparation period, the folks back home could watch their rep's decisions on the internet, and even unofficially participate.

When the vote is actually called for, decisions would be uploaded to a mainframe and majority returns would be generated. Because of the increased accountability, only items of worth and priority would be passed. Favors to lobbyists, pork barrel items, ear marks, etc. would naturally perish through this process. This is a microcosm based on the House of Representatives, and with thoughtfulness it is easy to figure out the rest.

Conclusions: most of the corruption within Congress comes to a focal point through voting, because that’s how public funds are appropriated, so it makes sense to challenge that corruption by changing the voting rules in a manner that allows distinctions. This particular approach harnesses the self-interest that is always present within corruption, and transforms it into a competitive stance to establish a new balance of powers within Congress itself (Montesquieu, Part B). Our founding fathers regarded such an approach as the only realistic way to fight corruption and establish an institutional safeguard. Anything the line-item veto did that was good, this would do far better; and the drawbacks of the line-item veto would be avoided entirely.


For a short series on Line Item Legislation, click HERE. To begin an in-depth study on this procedure, including political and historical background, click HERE.