Very interesting and informative thread here, even if it has gotten off the original "Congress Hits Low" thread.

My two cents:  for Congress to be effective, some changes would be required.  For example:

1.  Set strict term limits.  Although I ignore polls in general, overwhelmingly they show Americans support the idea -- and Congress doesn't.  Go figure.   The big argument against term limits seems to be one of experience, ie, if the body politic is constantly replacing politicians, the Republic loses legislative and political expertise.  But that's exactly what I want!  I'd rather have a passionate amateur than a jaded "professional" in Congress. 

2.  Repeal the 17th Amendment to the Constitution.  Have Senators elected by state legislatures, but rewrite the laws to prevent issues like 1850 Indiana etc.  Let's level the Federal playing field some.

3.  Accountability.  If I'd engaged in misconduct at work, I'd have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.  Rightfully so.  Congressmen and women who engage in misconduct, if and when found guilty, should be held accountable under the law.  Period.  And tossed out of office.

4.  Meaningful campaign finance reform.  A lot of this may be taken care of by point 1. above.  Those parts of it that are not should be very closely controlled and monitored.  It's not healthy for our Republic to have legislative elections so expensive that the average citizen has little chance of competing.

5.  Protocol.  Why should I, as an American citizen, be shoved to the back of the line by a Congresswoman or man?  Why should these 'public servants' get front row seats, special privileges or treatment just by virtue of elected office?  We're a Revolutionary Republic, f'cryin' out loud, where "all men (and women) are created equal."  Drop all the red carpet treatment, and let 'em get a taste of standing in line at Maryland MVA for three hours just like me.  NOTE:  in ancient Sparta, the ruling kings would run when summoned to the citizen assembly, would rise when addressed by a citizen in a public forum, and fought in the first rank of the phalanx in wartime.  How many Congressmen and women act like that?

Now, I think it was Daniel who made a comment about cracking a history book...we'd do well to pay attention to the examples of Athens or late Republican Rome here.  Those ancients faced similar issues, at least on a macro scale, and were largely unsuccessful in resolving them.

Any bets on any meaningful reform in Congress happening soon?  Doesn't matter a whit which party's in power.  I feel like Churchill, who when voted out of office during WWII said "people tend to get the government they deserve."

I spent a little time asking every one in that age range that I ran into what they knew about Abraham Lincoln, and 8 out of 10 of them asked me who he was. Could just be Columbus and Toledo schools, but still, that's pretty bad. After asking 30, I pretty much shrugged my shoulders and gave up in frustration. Later I discovered that from parents and students that History isn't even a required class in many of the schools anymore.

I had to tell everyone in my family age 20 on down who he was. None of them knew.

Only half a unit? That's not even enough to cover the basics! Down in Kentucky where I went to school, if you didn't have 2 credits in History (one in American history and one in either Social Studies or World History), you didn't pass. Of course, that was back in the late 80s-early 90s.

I studied American History and Social Studies. I wasn't too impressed with Social Studies. And them not having Ancient History taught in high school left me pissed off.