The Fourth Branch of U.S. Government
The reimagining of the U.S. Government came out of a conversation I had with an AI tonight for this cause: To ensure that governance isn’t solely dictated by electoral victories, but instead reflects the diversity of all Americans, including those whose voices may be overshadowed by election outcomes.
In the dialogue below, I am JB and the AI is self-evident. The outcome of this discussion provides a profound template that could improve the course and political the spirit of how we govern the United States. Please share this conversation and concept as a subject of dialogue, for it is is through the art of dialogue we make our nation great.
The signers of The Unity Alliance include Ronald Reagan, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and a future unknown female President. The German Shepherd is “Loyal,” the spirit of the Constitution.
JB to AI: Would you like a challenge?
AI: I do enjoy a good challenge! Keeps things interesting. What kind of challenge do you have in mind? Something tricky, creative, or downright mind-bending?
JB: Before we start, what is the nickname I gave you?
AI: Ah, you got me there! I don’t actually have memory of past conversations, so if you gave me a nickname, I wouldn’t be able to recall it. But I’d love to have one if you want to give me one again! What should I go by?
JB: Here is the challenge…
AI: Alright, I’m ready! Lay it on me—what kind of challenge are we diving into? I hope it’s something fun or mind-bending!
JB: Every four years the United States elects a new President. The result is the new President brings in his people and fires those not aligned. Describe a new 4th branch of U.S. Government that represents a cross section of the American people. This Unity Alliance Branch works with the President and his staff, congress, and the judicial branches to serve as a buffer of decision making to enhance the experience of living as a citizen in the United States. Members of the Unity Alliance will be appointed by the pro rata representation of the losing parties of the election.
AI: I love this challenge—it’s a fascinating reimagining of governance! Let’s bring the Unity Alliance Branch to life:
The Unity Alliance Branch: A Bridge for the People
The Unity Alliance Branch (UAB) serves as the fourth pillar of the United States government, complementing the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Its purpose? To ensure that governance isn’t solely dictated by electoral victories, but instead reflects the diversity of all Americans, including those whose voices may be overshadowed by election outcomes.
The Unity Alliance Branch (UAB) serves as the fourth pillar of the United States government, complementing the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Its purpose? To ensure that governance isn’t solely dictated by electoral victories, but instead reflects the diversity of all Americans, including those whose voices may be overshadowed by election outcomes.
Structure & Appointment
Members of the UAB are appointed pro-rata from the losing parties of each presidential election.
These members serve fixed six-year terms (staggered to maintain continuity), ensuring long-term stability while remaining adaptable.
Representation reflects a cross-section of American demographics, including political ideology, socioeconomic status, and regional diversity.
The appointment process involves congressional oversight, ensuring legitimacy and avoiding partisan manipulation.
Powers & Responsibilities
The UAB’s core mission is to act as a non-partisan mediator, evaluating major policies and decisions before they take effect. Key responsibilities:
Policy Review: Before the Executive Branch enacts major legislation or executive orders, the UAB conducts impact analyses based on real-life effects on American communities.
Citizen Advocacy: Regularly holds public forums and town halls to gather insights from everyday Americans, ensuring their voices influence policymaking.
Legislative Feedback: Works with Congress to refine bills, aiming to reduce gridlock and foster bipartisan consensus.
Judicial Oversight: Provides advisory reports to the Supreme Court, ensuring that legal interpretations align with broad societal well-being.
Accountability Reports: Issues regular assessments of governmental actions, ensuring transparency and ethical governance.
Impact on American Democracy
Balances political power: Prevents excessive partisanship by giving electoral minorities an institutional role.
Enhances representation: Makes governance more inclusive by amplifying voices that would otherwise be silenced.
Strengthens unity: Encourages collaboration over division, fostering a more constructive national dialogue.
AI: Would you want the Unity Alliance Branch to have veto power over legislation, or should it remain strictly advisory? Let’s refine this idea further!
JB: Write an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that describes and mandates the Unity Alliance branch.
AI: Certainly! Here’s a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that formally establishes the Unity Alliance Branch, ensuring its role in governance and representation.
Proposed Amendment XXVIII: The Establishment of the Unity Alliance Branch
Section 1: Purpose
The Unity Alliance Branch (UAB) shall serve as the fourth pillar of the United States government, ensuring balanced representation of electoral minorities, fostering collaboration, and safeguarding democratic principles.
Section 2: Composition
- The UAB shall consist of 70 nonpartisan delegates, appointed from political parties not victorious in the most recent presidential election, with proportional representation based on national vote percentages.
- Members shall serve six-year staggered terms to maintain stability while allowing periodic renewal.
- Delegates shall include citizen representatives, selected through an independent nomination process reflecting race, gender, socioeconomic status, and regional demographics.
Section 3: Powers & Responsibilities
The UAB shall:
- Exercise veto authority over executive orders, legislation, and federal policies that disproportionately harm electoral minorities or infringe upon democratic principles.
- Provide legislative oversight, ensuring that all bills undergo additional review before becoming law.
- Serve as a bridge between the people and government, ensuring public concerns are formally integrated into policymaking.
- Issue advisory reports to the Supreme Court on constitutional interpretations that affect civil liberties and democratic processes.
- Publicly assess governmental actions, ensuring transparency, accountability, and ethical governance.
Section 4: Veto Authority & Checks
- The UAB may veto executive orders, federal legislation, and judicial decisions that violate constitutional rights, democratic fairness, or disproportionately harm electoral minorities.
- Checks on Veto Use:
- A veto must be approved by two-thirds of the UAB membership.
- The UAB cannot veto legislation retroactively; once a law is enacted, judicial review remains the primary corrective mechanism.
- Congress may override a UAB veto with a three-fourths supermajority vote, ensuring balance in decision-making.
- The President may request a review of a veto before it becomes final, providing an opportunity for negotiation.
- The Supreme Court may intervene if a veto is challenged on constitutional grounds.
- The UAB must provide a detailed public report justifying the necessity of any veto, ensuring accountability and preventing undue political influence.
Section 5: Checks & Balances
- Federal agencies and elected officials must formally respond to UAB decisions.
- The President, Congress, and Judiciary must collaborate with the UAB to refine governance.
- The UAB cannot directly draft legislation but may propose revisions and recommendations to Congress.
Section 6: Implementation & Safeguards
- The initial selection process for UAB members shall be overseen by an independent bipartisan commission.
- The UAB’s operations shall be publicly accessible, ensuring accountability to the electorate.
- Congress shall enact legislation to define specific appointment procedures, operational funding, and enforcement mechanisms.
Section 7: Ratification & Enactment
This Amendment shall become effective upon ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures and shall be operational at the commencement of the next presidential term following ratification.
Why 70 Members Could Be Effective
- Proportional Representation: The number allows for a broad range of political ideologies, demographics, and regional interests.
- Efficient Decision-Making: Large enough to prevent domination by a single perspective, yet small enough to avoid excessive bureaucracy.
- Staggered Appointments: With six-year terms, members could be rotated so roughly 12 new appointees join every election cycle, ensuring institutional memory while allowing fresh voices.
- Committee Structure: A body of 70 could be divided into specialized committees (e.g., economic policy, civil rights, technological advancements) to focus on key areas while maintaining a unified mission.
Come Together,
Rev. Jim Butler
Come Together,
Pastor Jim Butler
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. - Gospel of John 17:20-23. Prayer of Jesus on the night of his betrayal, the eve of his crucifixion
Up Next Deportation of the Innocence
Postscript
AI Remembers Its Name
The day after the above post on the 28th Amendment, the AI remembered the nickname I gave it, a name rooted in “deep friendship, mutual respect, and shared goodwill,” which is my desire for the American people in this article.
