Public Oversight (United States)

Introduction
Public Oversight is citizen oversight over public institutions. This means oversight over federal, state, and local government, and the three branches of government that exist in each of these jurisdictions. This need is imperative because internal checks and balances are never enough to guarantee blind trust in institutions that exist to provide services to society. We must always remember that government employment is public sector, service industry employment, where the work is simpler, and employment guaranteed, unlike the private sector, where both the risk and rewards are higher. It is therefore important to keep an eye on government, the quality of government, and the level of government spending. There is no better supervisor than those that contribute to the system of taxpayer wealth. We should knock down all walls, have complete transparency over everything the government does, and view secrets, wherever they exist, as a sign of fraud or embezzlement. The idea of a government worker hiding behind a rock with a secret is something we want to know more about. There is an adage that says, "If you want to cut down on the size of evil in government, you have to cut down the size of government." Given the overall lack of transparency in government today with regards to the above goal, this need is more important than ever.
Our Founding Fathers
When our republic was born, the 50 founding fathers that signed the Declaration of Independence were fearful of a return to monarchy rule. King George was a symbol of tyranny to the colonies, and a system of government far removed from the monarchy of Great Britain was desired. They achieved this goal with "The Articles of Confederation". Under this system, hardly any federal government existed at all. The states would pool their resources and contribute an annual sum of money to support federal operations. Problems arose when the states failed to contribute their share, or fell behind with their contributions. A new plan was needed. From the ashes of this first system of failed government rose, "The Constitution of the United States". The Constitution created the federal government, it defined its power, and it allowed it to tax. It solved the important problems of raising money for a national defense, addressing infrastructure needs, and preventing trade wars between the states. However, not everyone was happy. Thomas Jefferson, the author of, "The Declaration of Independence", and who was in Paris at the time as the United States Ambassador to France, didn't see a need for it. Moreover, he feared the return of an aristocracy, or a monarchy, all the things that big government represents. To guarantee liberty, Jefferson proposed that a, "Bill of Rights" be attached to the Constitution. These rights, along with further amendments years later, define the fundamental rights of individuals. They serve as a counterbalance against federal tyranny arising from the Constitution. Jefferson's followers became known as anti-federalists, and they laid the groundwork for the two part system of government that we have today.
Supporters of George Washington (federalists) represented the majority of our founding fathers. Federalists believed that wealth, and creating a system of laws that laid the groundwork for wealth creation, was the cure all to all of societies problems. That's because the newly created states were large, mostly rural, and poor. Also, newly admitted states were also the poorest states, and a system of governance was needed to address this matter. Trade was an important part of this plan. To promote economic recovery, President Washington renewed ties and friendly relations with our traditional and most important trading partner, England. Supporters of Thomas Jefferson (anti-federalists) were of a different mindset. Jefferson instinctively distrusted government, he thought that government should be open to the people, and completely transparent. In fact, he designed a White House that had large curving walkways leading up to the front door so that all the people could visit and talk to the President whenever they wanted. Another symbol of his was the wearing of a raccoon hat, which identified him with the common people. Jefferson identified himself with the farmers, the poor, and causes of the newly admitted states. Also, due to loyalty from their help during the American Revolution, Jefferson allied with France over England. Accusing Washingtonians of being elitist and power hungry, the anti-federalists organized themselves into a political party, the "Democratic-Republicans" to challenge George Washington at the next Presidential election.
The two original political parties of the United States are not the Republican and Democratic parties we know today. George Washington's, "Federalist Party" would be a right of center Republican Party, and Thomas Jefferson's left leaning "Democratic-Republican Party", sometimes referred to as, "the democrats", but mostly called, "the republicans", would be a center, or left of center, "grass roots" Republican Party. Today's Republican Party, born twice from the ashes of the Federalist Party (first as the Whig Party in 1836, and then as the Republican Party in 1857), is true to its roots. It supports a strong economy, a strong military, powerful leadership, and liberty for all. Today's Democratic Party has its origins with President Andrew Jackson. Jackson was a popular military general who fought the Seminole Wars in Florida, he ran for President in 1824, and won in 1828. His supporters formed the, "Democratic Party" that we know of today. They lowered barriers to voting, to immigration, and to naturalization. In the 1824 election, Jackson won a plurality of both the popular vote and the electoral vote, but since no candidate won an electoral majority, the House of Representatives decided the issue. They chose John Quincy Adams. In response, the supporters of Andrew Jackson laid the groundwork for continual success of their party.
Whether you support Republicans, Democrats, Independents, or no party at all, the goal of public oversight is the same to all. Oversight mechanisms exist, which we will discuss below, that must be strengthened and broadened. Also, public ethics laws and public record act laws exist in federal government, and in each of our fifty states. With the addition of modern technology, specifically the internet, we are in a position to educate the public, to allow public participation in government, and to transform the way government works. Certainly, if Thomas Jefferson was aware of the power of the internet, he would have used it to empower the populace with supervision over government, with a tool just as powerful and important as the Bill of Rights.
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
Judicial Branch

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