David Boyd lays out the best way to reform government:

1. Term limits. 12 years. 2 Senate terms. 6 House terms.
2. A uniform geographical formula for drawing house districts or elect all representatives at-large. Safe districts have to go. They’re anathema to democracy.

Exactly. The Republican Revolution of 1994 was great in principle, but in practice once those guys got power they fell prey to it and abandoned their convictions (funny how term limits lose their appeal once you’re the one in power). Our current Republican-dominated branches are a mess (and if Democrats controlled the White House, House, and Senate it would be just as bad). Only 30 of the 435 House races seem to be competitive in 2006 because legislators have drawn “safe districts” that all but guarantee re-election of the incumbent. This has to change.