Your belief that anonymous voting in Congress is “goofy” reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of how our political system operates. Public knowledge of each individual vote does little to influence electoral outcomes. I.e., voters rarely track day-to-day legislative decisions, and even when they do, their understanding of the complex procedural dynamics is limited. Campaigns are primarily won or lost based on messaging (truthful or otherwise), rather than detailed voting records.

The real leverage in our system comes from financial influence and political pressure exerted by donors, interest groups, and party leadership. This influence depends on knowing exactly how legislators vote, enabling these entities to reward or punish them accordingly. When every vote is public, politicians feel compelled to serve those who fund their campaigns rather than following their own conscience or serving the broader public interest.

The proposal I highlighted for rebuilding trust is to restore anonymous voting in Congress. This follows the same expectations a anonymous voting in general elections. By keeping individual votes private, representatives are enabled to make decisions based on their judgment and principles rather than on fear of retribution or loss of funding. Many political scientists and reform advocates agree (see discussions in the American Political Science Review or reports from nonpartisan think tanks like the Brennan Center for Justice).

It is telling that your comment has garnered so much support. This demonstrates how easily public perception can be shaped and how difficult it is to foster informed discussions about positive legislative reforms.