American politics appears broken. The Republican Party, which is in control of Congress and the presidency, is internally fractured and incapable of advancing a coherent policy agenda. Moderation and compromise, especially across party lines, are political minefields few politicians dare cross.
The budget process has become a game of chicken and Washington is unable to address pressing public issues. The current healthcare fiasco is Exhibit A: Held hostage by the fringe of their party, Republican leaders are unable to attempt a reasonable, bipartisan compromise.
What if a simple fix could encourage a return to bipartisanship? An obscure — though critical — element of the current logjam is the rules by which the Speaker of the House of Representatives can be dismissed. Any member can bring a motion “to declare the chair vacant.”