The United States of America was built on the foundation of hard work, protected rights, and guaranteed opportunities for all to succeed. Contrary...

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The United States of America was built on the foundation of hard work, protected rights, and guaranteed opportunities for all to succeed. Contrary to popular belief, this firm foundation does not include a prerequisite of wealth or status. Before the recent influx of money in politics, there was an emphasis placed on pursuing constructive policies for all and serving one’s fellow constituent. In short, people ran for public office in order to help repair things they saw wrong in their neighborhoods and towns, not for a boost in reputation or personal success. Over time, however, as the barriers between money and power began to erode, elected officials have become synonymous with self-absorption, wealth, and affluence. This transition from legitimate public service in the past to public self-importance has shifted the balance of power to the wealthy and diminished true representation in Congress. Members of Congress misuse the Constitutional power vested in them to establish their own salaries in order to remain paramount. Many politicians are privately wealthy and maintain and build on to their status of wealth through constant pay raises without effectively taking heed to the constituents in their home states. This separation in economic status creates an inherent divide between elected official and constituent. In order to restore the American government back to its traditional values of service and opportunity, the degree of prominence and financial prosperity given to elected officials must be decreased. The National Elected Official Limited Compensation and Connectivity Act (NEOLCACA) is a clear-cut way to: eliminate conflicts of interest regarding the law and congressional salaries, bound in the salaries of overpaid and unde... ... middle of paper ... ... rich lobbyists and maintain a laundry list of exclusive benefits at the expense of making the right decisions for their constituents have corrupted the structure of the U.S. system. Connecting the wages of politicians to the median salary of their constituencies, would help solve some of the nation’s problems regarding this political greed and manipulation. The nation would save billions in tax dollars that could be used as stimulus for other areas in public policy. The new era of politicians that would be willing to run for office at a diminished pay, as per all of the NEOLCACA’s restrictions, would be more likely to do so in order to change things for the better because of intrinsic motivation rather than the extrinsic motivation of monetary gain. These are the types of elected officials America needs moving forward and the representatives the nation deserves.

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