My 1 Domestic Policy Suggestion for the President

Earlier today, I posted my 10 suggestions for changes the President should make in our foreign policy. Now, I want to offer the one thing I’d ask to change about our domestic policy.

But first, why only one thing? Not only do I think that our legacy and history is far more shaped by foreign policy, but to me, these domestic issues are a lot less certain. I hear great arguments on all sides for all of these issues. Countries all over the world have prospered and waned in both high and low taxes, in both high and low employment, and in both bigger and smaller government. There’s simply no inherently “right” way to run a nation. And so, to me, the best thing we can change domestically is systemic rather than particular. So what’s that one thing?

Steal Britain’s brilliant idea and institute “President’s Questions” here in the States.

“Prime Minister’s Questions” (PMQs) (Wikipedia) is a British constitutionally-mandated session every Wednesday, where the Prime Minister spends about half an hour simply answering questions from members of Parliament–most of the time quite dramatically. It usually involves the Prime Minister getting in vigorous debates with the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (if it were instituted here, it would be a televised debate on the floor of Congress mostly between Mitch McConnell or John Boehner against Obama). Here’s one good example I found:

In researching this post, I watched several of these, and they seem to always be exciting and dynamic. Just watch last week’s PMQ.

Having the President face Congress week after week could do nothing but help our national discourse and policy-making. It would reveal the intellectual fortitude, humility, strength, and abilities of our leaders; it would challenge policies that don’t get a lot of air-time otherwise (can you imagine Rand or Ron Paul getting a crack at this with the President?); and it would be exciting enough to get people caring and knowledgeable about politics again (instead of Honey Boo-Boo), and thereby maybe increase our general well-being at the same time.

I mean, how amazing would it be if this were true of us (from the afore-linked Wikipedia article above):

PMQs forms an important part of British political culture and, due to the natural drama of the sessions, it is among the best-known parliamentary business in the country, with tickets to the Strangers’ Gallery (the public gallery) for Wednesdays being the most sought-after parliamentary tickets.