Frank Keeney6 days ago4 minThe Great American TragedyThe great American experiment in democratic government was launched in 1789 with trepidation, but high hopes. However, our federal...
Frank KeeneyOct 6, 20211 minCuring a Dereliction of Duty: Adjusting our expectationsThe ire of many political activists is directed to alleged failings of Congress, but the underlying cause of this apparent dereliction of...
Frank KeeneyOct 5, 20212 minThe Language of Budgets: Good communication requires clarity in languageIn the process of preparing the federal budget, there is an inherent bias at work. The members of Congress have strong pressure from...
Frank KeeneyOct 1, 20211 minThe FOIA Grows Teeth! Enforced discipline will work wondersThe Freedom of Information Act is an important tool with which citizens can challenge governmental actions and expose them to public...
Frank KeeneySep 30, 20211 minDisciplining Rogue Actors: Bringing the DOJ and FBI to heelFor two years, congressional committees have been trying to fulfill their responsibilities for oversight of the executive branch and get...
Frank KeeneySep 29, 20212 minThe Art of Collegial Debate: Imposing discipline can induce collegialityIn recent years our officials in Washington have lost the art of collegial debate as the atmosphere has grown increasingly partisan and...
Frank KeeneySep 28, 20213 minThe Heart of the Republic: Elections can’t be left on auto-pilot; they must be managedAt the heart of the republic sits a key to its success or a cause of its ultimate failure: the elections to select political leaders and...
Frank KeeneySep 27, 20212 minThe Flywheel of Government: We successfully organize other large groups; why not government?Non-partisan law enforcement: Is it possible? Some will argue No, it is not possible since whenever you have people involved in anything...
Frank KeeneySep 23, 20211 minTheir Finest Hour: The founders gave us a “fail-safe” option in Article V - it may be our only hopeThese are grave days in America. Threats to our freedom abound, externally and internally, and our federal government appears incapable...
Frank KeeneySep 22, 20212 minCommon Sense, 2018 Style: Trust your common sense - the experts are often wrongIn 1776 Thomas Paine wrote a long pamphlet titled Common Sense in which he challenged the authority of the British government and the...
Frank KeeneySep 21, 20213 minWisdom of the Crowd: Hopeful but tenuous clues for the futureOur republic was created in 1788 when New Hampshire (the ninth state to do so) ratified the pending Constitution. When the founders...
Frank KeeneySep 20, 20213 minIs the Unthinkable in our Future? Wake up America, before it’s too late!The United States is so large, powerful, and prosperous today that it is unthinkable that it could rapidly recede to an “also ran” among...
Frank KeeneySep 17, 20212 minFiddling While Rome Burns: Yes, our civilization is burning!Personal freedom has always been the hallmark that distinguished us from the other nation-states of the world. We fought the...
Frank KeeneySep 16, 20211 minCulture Shock: Applying discipline will be a shockThe days when Congress sits regally in Washington and hands out the federal largess to grateful petitioners could soon be over. With the...
Frank KeeneySep 15, 20212 minWhen Rights Collide: Keeping a clear head when claims clashOne of the most important acts of our citizens is the granting of our individual proxy to persons selected in an election who will then...
Frank KeeneySep 14, 20212 minA Rational Budget: One of democracy’s greatest challenges - honest and comprehensive budgetsThe federal government has run large deficits in recent years, bringing the national debt to more than $25 trillion. Furthermore, it has...
Frank KeeneySep 13, 20212 minTwo Linchpins of the Republic: The rule of law and protected elections are criticalTwo reforms are key to fixing the government, and should be recognized as linchpins of the republic: they are enforcing the rule of law...
Frank KeeneySep 10, 20211 minThe Sweet Spot: Reforms must aim to hit the sweet spot of government reformBaseball players know that to hit the baseball with maximum power you must strike it on a small area of the bat, which they call the...
Frank KeeneySep 9, 20212 minFederal Compensation: Adding transparency to a neglected areaFor nearly 200 years the salaries and benefits of federal employees were less than the compensation of workers in the private sector....
Frank KeeneySep 8, 20212 minFree Speech and Uncivil Behavior: Self-restraint is a vital element of civil societyThe right of free speech, which is embodied in the Constitution, presupposes that such speech will be delivered in a civil and respectful...