ARTICLE one, Section six of the Constitution states in part that "no Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created." This constitutional provision prevents politicians from occupying more than one public office simultaneously. Today, however, an insidious, legal practice is undermining the spirit of the Constitution. It has become commonplace for calculating politicians to run for office while simultaneously holding an elected position. This trend results in absent representatives who place personal ambition over the public good.
As Politics Prof. Larry Sabato noted in an e-mail , "the positive rationale" behind opposition to this practice is rooted in the belief "that candidates who are campaigning almost full-time for another office cannot possibly have the time to do justice to their current position." This opinion has repeatedly been affirmed by the many politicians who neglect their elected offices while campaigning.
Among the 17 major party candidates in the 2008 presidential primaries, 11 people currently serve in elected office. The candidate AWOL from office most frequently among this group is Sen. John McCain,
According to The Washington Post's Votes Database, McCain has missed 51.7 percent of all Senate votes during the 110th Congress. The only senator absent more often than McCain is Tim Johnson, (D-SD), who suffered a brain hemorrhage last December and has understandably missed his Senate duties since.
The number of key votes he has missed in 2007 further highlights McCain's poor attendance. So far this year, he has failed to vote on a proposal to bring the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 to a Senate vote, on a measure providing funding for military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and on a key bill realigning Iraq war strategy. McCain's inaction is indefensible. The hypocrisy of his absenteeism is overpowering when one considers McCain publicly advocates a sustained American military presence in Iraq, yet is unable to find the time to vote on the issue.
Such recklessness among the 2008 presidential candidates is not limited to McCain, however. Governor Bill Richardson, (D-NM) has also been conspicuously absent from the state he's supposedly leading. According to The Albuquerque Tribune, "voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and other states have seen more of Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson than his New Mexico constituents since he announced his bid for president." Richardson soberly defends such truancy by noting that he conducts state business electronically and tries to spend one day each week in New Mexico.
Such is the state of American electoral politics, as many candidates fail at the balancing act of fulfilling the duties of one office while simultaneously pursuing election to another. Furthermore, running for an office with a fixed term and subsequently neglecting to discharge the duties of that office over the designated term is unethical.
A solution to this corrupt system is available in the form of resign-to-run rules. These measures require politicians to step down from the office they hold upon formally entering a non-reelection campaign. Requiring candidates to resign when running for reelection would be imposing term limits and is not included in resign-to-run rules.
Such a rule preserves the integrity of the political system, as only the most motivated and passionate candidates are willing to forfeit their safe elected positions to run for another office. Though the total number of candidates would decrease as a result of resign-to-run rules, the commitment and conviction of candidates both increase under such a measure.
A smaller field of candidates also increases voter participation rates. Faced with fewer contenders, voters will be better positioned to become acquainted with each candidate and his or her positions. Likewise, media outlets would be more likely to provide substantial coverage on every candidate when fewer people are running.
Many observers criticize the resign-to-run rule as limiting voter choice and politician freedom. Others fault the rule because it limits the political marketplace in which voters express their distrust and distaste with elected officials through the ballot box. Politics Prof. Paul Freedman explains "there's a built-in corrective called the electoral process." He further notes that "by shackling the candidate, you're also shackling the voters."
Though these concerns are valid points that must be considered, they do not in most cases outweigh the damage caused by overextended politicians. Officials neglecting the constituents who entrusted them with representation are more detrimental to the political system than the additional eligibility requirement imposed by a resign-to-run rule.
Hawaii, Florida and Arizona are among the list of jurisdictions that currently have resign-to-run laws. A resign-to-run rule applicable to politicians running for Senate, House of Representatives, and presidential elections should be introduced on the federal level through a Constitutional Amendment. It's time to install and instill reforms that will ensure "public servants" are pursuing the public good rather than their own self-serving political ambitions.
James Rogers is a Cavalier Daily Viewpoint Writer.
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