PODCAST: Contract to Unite America: Ten Reforms to Reclaim Our Republic

image
TJ OHaraTJ OHara
Published: 03 Jun, 2020
1 min read

Neal Simon, the author of Contract to Unite America: Ten Reforms to Reclaim Our Republic, joined T.J. O’Hara on Deconstructed to discuss the challenges of our current partisan political environment and how to address them.

In 2018, Mr. Simon ran as an independent candidate for the U.S. Senate for the State of Maryland. He polled well and even made it into a debate before political power and money overwhelmed his campaigned. After a strong debate performance, he describes how the future debates and town halls, which had been promised, were suddenly off the table. He also talks about the incredible barriers that confront independent and third-party candidates yet somehow don’t apply to Democrat and Republican candidates.


Mr. Simon describes ten critical reforms that he believes would serve to level the playing field and attract more independent and third-party candidates to pursue federal office. His recommendations include the end of gerrymandering and the use of Ranked Choice Voting as well as term limits, campaign finance reform, and other substantive ideas.

Get a glimpse into the “behind the scenes” world of federal elections that almost makes it impossible to get elected unless you are a favored candidate of one of the two major parties. It shouldn’t be this way, but it is. Listen to hear how Neal Simon believes we can change that.

You Might Also Like

National Reform Organizations Condemn Texas and California Over Gerrymandering
National Reform Organizations Condemn Texas and California Over Gerrymandering
The United States has passed the point of no return in the unprecedented mid-cycle redistricting fight between Texas and California, which threatens to expand to other states like Republican-controlled Florida and Democratic-controlled New York....
25 Aug, 2025
-
6 min read
Gerrymandering Wars Escalate Beyond Texas and California: A National Race to the Bottom?
Gerrymandering Wars Escalate Beyond Texas and California: A National Race to the Bottom?
Republicans currently hold a narrow 219 to 212 edge over Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, with four vacancies: three from Democratic members who have died and one from a Republican who has resigned. This is the smallest House majority held by either party in nearly a century. The razor-thin margin means the stakes in the 2026 midterms could not be higher. With so few competitive seats left nationwide, both parties are turning to mid-decade redistricting as a way to secure advantages....
27 Aug, 2025
-
10 min read
Hand in ballot that says independent on it.
Why 1.2 Million California Independents Are The Biggest Wild Card in American Politics Today
The fate of Proposition 50, California’s proposed redistricting measure, may come down to voters who have declined to join one of the two major political parties....
22 Aug, 2025
-
5 min read