Review by Eva Gallegos -- The Right to Nominate

[Eva Gallegos]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Right to Nominate" by Thomas E Peterson.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Review: The Right to Nominate: Restoring Power of the People Over the Power of the Parties by Thomas E. Peterson

Thomas E. Peterson, a reformist by definition, challenges the current electoral system and argues that the American government no longer belongs to the American people, but to U.S. political parties.

The Texas native, who has a law degree from Harvard University, explains in his debut work of nonfiction his view about the decay and inefficiency of the U.S. Government due to the faults and restrictions imposed by the “parties-only" system to Americans, who have been robbed of their right to choose who represents them. The author´s intent is to return readers back in history to a time where men were more willing to listen to one another, without partisan bias, in the hopes to bring real change and unity to the states under one flag and one Constitution.

In “The Right to Nominate: Restoring Power of the People Over the Power of the Parties”, Peterson argues that the Framers´ intention while designing the Constitution was to form a republican government that could endure over time the blights that many others had failed to survive. The author describes in great detail the worldview of the Founding Fathers and their conviction to not allow a government infected by political “factions”. In this regard, Peterson says “we will look at the worldview of the Framers of the Constitution. Our goal will be to reenter their way of thinking in order to restore and complete their original design.”

In the first two parts of the book, Peterson, makes a historical review on the struggle, successes and failures of some of the most important characters in modern history and criticizes historians who for the most part have forgotten the actions that took place at a time where the republic was still fragile and the people who gave rise to a political system, ruled by parties, that over time have led the country to almost total stagnation.

“There is this false sense of freedom when it comes to voting. You do not have the freedom to vote for who you want, you are only free to vote for who the parties nominate. With Right to Nominate, I want to highlight how the current system has achieved power by taking the people’s sovereignty from them. Also, how it is possible to put elections back into the hands of the people, as the Framers intended it.” Peterson said.

After laying out his case for how these parties were able to took full control of the government, Peterson states, that the only way to restore sovereignty to its rightful owners is through the restoration of a forgotten right, the Right to Nominate. And who would the communities nominate in their quest to restore the balance of power?

The author then proceeds to explain the effects of this transfer of power from parties to citizens, which constitutes a persuasive tool to ignite the flame of public opinion on a topic that has long been in the public arena, reform of the electoral system.

Lastly, “Right to Nominate” presents a solution, Constitutional amendment 28th, to close the gap left by the Frames in the original design, which unintentionally gave the parties the freedom they needed to flourish.

His prose is direct, clear and compelling, although there were moments of little fluidity, since the author emphasize a lot of his arguments without contributing new elements or data.

Overall, a well-documented and opinionated insight on the reach and dangers that the parties-only government represents to a republic, any democracy and in general the sovereignty of the people. A collection of ideas to rally the disenfranchise and new generations into action rather than persuade those content/complacent with the current political structure. Peterson's argument is more relevant today than ever, although it will probably take many generations for a new way of thinking to break through the political apparatus, bringing real change and restoring the right of the people to elect their representatives, as it was indeed the intention of the Framers.

Thomas E. Peterson´s reasoning is provocative and clever, in a way that appeals to a sense of injustice and the need to rectify a natural right given to us by the Founding generation, already established in the Constitution and stolen by the elites. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars for the quality of the information presented, the strength of the arguments been made, originality and relevance; however, the style of some of the paragraphs throughout the text requires more work, as it can distract the reader and may seem sloppy. I fairly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who wants to delve into the political history of the country, as well as those who are interested in political activism, who have their own ideas or opinions outside the prevailing bipartisan structure.

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The Right to Nominate
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[Manang Muyang]

I agree with the author. The current process has outlived its usefulness. It's time to dance the chacha (Charter Change). Do the people of America have the time, dedication, and energy to do the dance?