New America Party: A Proposed Platform

Because Elon Musk's new party is light on details, I would like to propose some planks for the platform. Just for giggles.

Neither of the two major parties is willing to look out for our long-term interests. Their incentives are to use debt spending (thus future inflation) to buy constituency groups that will allow them to gain or keep power. Both parties have therefore betrayed us. With debt service now exceeding our bloated military budget, we must try something new. —MB

Partisan politics is a bad secular religion that somehow feels like crying teardrops into the ocean and pissing in the wind all at once. Third-party politics is certainly not my thing—I much prefer liberatory innovation—but we must take action on multiple fronts.

So, the America Party needs a platform.

Keep in mind that 1-4 would require a Constitutional Amendment, while 5-10 would require an Act of Congress.

1. Balanced Budget—Total outlays for any fiscal year shall not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year, unless three-fifths of the whole number of each House of Congress shall provide by law for a specific excess of outlays over receipts. Total outlays for any fiscal year shall not exceed 18% of the US gross domestic product for the previous calendar year unless three-fifths of each chamber shall provide by law for a specific excess. (Article V advocates such as Mike Kapic have been working on this for decades.)

2. Subsidiarity—All government decisions must be made at the most local feasible level. The United States shall not enact laws or regulations that infringe upon the rights or powers reserved to the States, local governments, or the people—unless it can demonstrate that:

   1. A lower level of authority cannot effectively address the issue due to insufficient resources, expertise, or jurisdiction; and

   2. The federal action is narrowly tailored to address a compelling national interest that cannot be achieved by less intrusive means.

   3. The burden of demonstrating the unfeasibility of a subordinate jurisdiction lies with the superordinate one.

3. Secession—Any geographically contiguous group of people within the United States may elect to secede from any superordinate jurisdiction with 60 percent of the vote by referendum.

4. Senate—Repeal the Seventeenth Amendment, such that a state’s two senators shall be chosen through a process of sortition after each legislature determines a pool of candidates in the relevant session.
   

5. Taxes—The federal government is prohibited from collecting federal taxes from citizens. State-level taxing authorities must collect all federal taxes. State authorities would not be allowed to appropriate or repurpose any federal funds, but would be permitted to withhold funds to the Treasury if,

   1. The federal government violates Amendments 9 and 10, or Subsidiarity.

   2. The federal government violates the Balanced Budget Amendment.

   3. The federal government has been found to violate the Constitutional Rights of US citizens in their state, as proven in court.

   The state-level taxing authority would be allowed to retain the collected taxes in the event of secession or conclusive findings regarding a, b, or c—but those resources must be returned to the people.

6. Election Integrity—States must take all reasonable measures to standardize and shore up election integrity, including:

   1. All voters must present a valid, government-issued photo ID.

   2. All votes by all voters must be publicly auditable within 48 hours.

   3. Cross-reference databases between states and federal agencies to maintain accurate, current voter rolls.

   4. Allow poll watchers from all parties meaningful access to observe ballot counting, signature verification, and other election processes. Establish clear guidelines for observer access while maintaining orderly elections.

   5. Strengthen signature matching processes for absentee and mail-in ballots by applying signature analysis and establishing verification standards that include valid, government-issued ID.

   6. Implement procedures for secure ballot provenance from printing through final tabulation, including detailed documentation, secure storage protocols, and video monitoring of ballot handling areas.

7. Medicare for Some—Fold Medicare into Medicaid, and means test it.

   1. Phase out both traditional Medicare and Medicaid by combining all benefits into a single program for low-income citizens of any age.

   2. Means test that program.

   3. Instead of reimbursing providers, subsidize large health savings accounts for out-of-pocket expenses and focus on a public option for catastrophic coverage.

8. Social Security. Designate a private social security option in which 80 percent of what had formerly gone to Social Security may go into a private investment fund. The remaining 20 percent can be allocated to maintaining social security for low-income pensioners who opt to stay in that system. All taxes collected for social security must be reserved for that system, unless by three-fifths vote of both chambers.

9. Immigration. All non-US nationals in the US, whether legally or illegally, are prohibited from voting, drawing on any government benefits, or working without a visa. Any migrant in the US without explicit permission shall be ineligible for naturalization. Streamline worker visas, from application to issuance, but require job openings to be posted for a specified period—open to Americans—before opening these positions to work visa applicants/holders. Make visas and naturalization contingent on passing a scoring rubric that is designed to exclude individuals with criminal records, and/or a high likelihood of holding illiberal views.

10. Permanent Predatory DOGE + Public Blockchain Auditing. A new Department of Government Efficiency would be a statutory agency designed to aggressively identify and eliminate waste, fraud, and corruption across all departments. Its key features would include:

    • Broad Audit Authority. Empowered to audit any federal agency, program, or department without restriction, accessing financial records, contracts, and operational data to pinpoint inefficiencies or malfeasance.

    • Incentive Structure. The agency’s budget and staffing would scale based on a fixed percentage (e.g., 5%) of the waste or savings it identifies and eliminates, creating a self-sustaining model that rewards efficiency.

    • Arrest Powers. Authorized to investigate and arrest government employees or contractors for corruption, fraud, or deliberate mismanagement, working in coordination with law enforcement or judicial bodies.

    • Independence. Operates as a relatively autonomous entity to avoid political interference, with leadership appointed for fixed terms and protected from arbitrary dismissal.

    • Monthly Reporting. Mandated to publish transparent reports detailing waste identified, savings achieved, and actions taken, ensuring accountability to the public. Any expenditure not explicitly set out in statute would be subject to cuts by the Executive.

I have ten more of these in me, at least, but they’ll have to wait.

Some have argued that a major competing third party would divide those who share more similar views of the role of government, leaving a weakened, corrupt, and ideologically unhinged Democratic Party to retake power. Yet, if ever there were an opportunity for the GOP to prove that it was committed to reducing spending and limiting government, that opportunity has now passed.

Instead, the Republican Party decided to horse-trade and logroll its way to national insolvency. So, even if there are fewer politicians from the new party being elected, the former duopoly will have to court them. And perhaps, although any new party will be attacked for being radical, the crazy and corrupt wings of the duopoly will finally face meaningful checks.

Those familiar with my more idealistic visions, such as those for startup societies, might be disappointed with this list, as it’s designed to right the ship of state rather than sink it. I’m still an idealist, but I am under no illusions. Our ideals must be balanced against pragmatic and strategic considerations. I’m not sure anything can change the duopoly’s stranglehold until the people are desperate enough to try something new.