Norquist We Didn't Elect You

For the past twenty years, Republican lawmakers have taken Grover Norquist's pledge not to raise taxes under any circumstances. (Norquist founded Americans for Tax Reform.) This prevents any debate on tax hikes and locks in representatives’ votes even before any discussions. Norquist’s pledge has its roots in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was called governmental "Instruction." People gave their elected officials instructions on how to vote. Even back then it was controversial. And one of its most vocal opponents was English politician Edmund Burke. Here's what he said to the voters of his district when he ran for Parliament:

What sort of reason is that, in which the determination precedes the discussion; in which one set of men deliberate, and another decide; and where those who form the conclusion are perhaps three hundred miles distant from those who hear the arguments….Authoritative instructions; mandates issued, which the member is bound blindly and implicitly to obey, to vote and to argue for, though contrary to the clearest conviction of his judgment and conscience....

It’s interesting to read Burke’s statement in light of what’s happening now in American politics. Special interests, like those Norquist represents, hold undue influence in our government. Constituents’ interests are only important to our representatives if they threaten their re-election. Our legislators do not have, as Burke suggested, “unbiased opinions.”

To read more about Burke and how this connects with Norquist's pledge, read Gary Wills' article Edmund Burke Against Grover Norquist from the New York Review of Books.

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The posters in this series reflect the conflicts the American political system has been experiencing during the turbulent period between 2010-2018. They are meant to encourage an exploration and a dialogue about the cultural minefield we now find ourselves in.