My friend Nick and I were discussing a class he was taking on organizations. One thing he learned is that an organization is more than any one person. It is a set of activities and patterns. The organization must be bigger than even the person who founded it in order for the organization to endure. If the success or failure is solely contingent on one person, then when that person becomes unable to run the organization, it will die. As I thought about our discussion, it occurred to me that the principles that determine an organization’s success must also determine the success of our nation. When we encounter a national crisis or difficult constitutional question, we tend to look to our founding fathers for the answer. We cite their writings and speeches as support for our chosen solution to the situation. Their advice is valuable and should be considered, but we must realize that the principles that govern our nation are bigger than even the founding fathers. Through out our history, the leaders that followed Washington and Jefferson have used the original founders as guides in their decisions; but, at the same time, they realized that they could improve upon what the founders had accomplished. Over the past 200 years, slavery has been abolished, and equal rights have been assured for all citizens. We now need to continue the legacy begun over 200 years ago and make this nation better than it has ever been.
The philosophy of Politivote plays a part in accomplishing this. With each vote we cast, we have the power to influence our representatives and make a positive impact on our nation. As more and more people register with and use the site, the contribution of Politivote to the betterment of our nation will increase.