the political parties and a lazy uninformed voter base are part of how we got into this mess. ideally political parties would just be done away with altoghether but since I don't see that happening.

make election day a holiday. require hot button issues and statements from candidates to be provided right at the precincts.

I know that on reviewing my own voting record that there are many I wish I had never voted for and only did so because they were a part of the republican party.