Keep the offices of the Attorney General, Treasurer, & Auditor elected!
One of the great advents of world politics is when American citizens secured the right to elect their own leaders. So why, then, did the Utah legislature briefly consider to alter the way we elect three of the highest offices in the state? Utahns should stand firm, in principle, that these offices remain as elected positions, NOT appointed.
Elected officials represent the voice of the people.
So much has been sacrificed throughout history to gain what some Americans nowadays treat whimsically or with distain. Americans may not agree on much these days, but Utahns still believe that the best way to govern is to distribute decision making authority to officers who are elected by, and who stay accountable to, the people.
Elections are an indispensable part of "authority distribution" that allows for civilization to flourish. This separation of duties creates multiple branches of government as well as separate offices of government within those branches. The separation of these powers allows multiple layers of checks and balances, but in order for the process to work correctly, those offices must remain independent from each other. If one of the offices of government were allowed to appoint the leaders of the other offices, then the entire application of checks and balances would be null and void, creating a de facto single body government where all officials become beholden to the one who appointed them.
Elections are an indispensable part of "authority distribution" that allows for civilization to flourish. This separation of duties creates multiple branches of government as well as separate offices of government within those branches. The separation of these powers allows multiple layers of checks and balances, but in order for the process to work correctly, those offices must remain independent from each other. If one of the offices of government were allowed to appoint the leaders of the other offices, then the entire application of checks and balances would be null and void, creating a de facto single body government where all officials become beholden to the one who appointed them.
Other Items to Consider:
- The Governor, Treasurer, Attorney General, and State Auditor are all executive officers within the executive branch. To prevent the Governor's office from becoming too powerful, the governor is not allowed to appoint the other three officers.
- Because the Governor, Treasurer, Attorney General, and State Auditor are all elected independently from each other, none of them are beholden to the other. They can work together, but they can also check the others, when needed.
- If power becomes consolidated, history has repeatedly shown that corruption and heavy-handed tactics are more likely to occur.
- Elected officers cannot be replaced on a whim if a disagreement ensues.
- American citizens remain relatively free and independent compared to citizens of other countries because we employ a multi-faceted system of checks and balances.
- Appointed Attorney Generals do not have leadership nationally because they are just an extension of the person who appointed them.
- If one or more of the elected officers performs poorly, the others can make it be known because they are answerable directly to the people, thereby making them more able to speak truth to power.
- Utah is among the 43 states that elect their AGs.
- Many appointments are made at the federal level to handle tasks like national security, but at the state level, the public should not want to consolidate power into the hands of one executive (e.g. a king or an emperor).
- Historically, the AG was the lawyer for the people.
- When an office is appointed, it becomes politicized by the official overseeing the office.
- Only officers with a public voice are those that are independently elected by their constituents. If those same officers were appointed, they would lose their ability to speak for their constituents and would instead work for the one who appointed them.
- Having an independent auditor is almost universally recognized. That’s why in a corporation, the independent auditor reports to the board, not management.
- Appointing officers creates conflict. Even if one officer, like the AG, becomes appointed, the other officers would suffer because the independence of the AG impacts the advice and counsel of those who represent the other officers.
- Each department employee must be free to do their best in the capacity that they were hired. In other words, state employees must be allowed to provide independent advice to the elected boss of their department. This can only happen if they remain independent from the influence of other elected officers from the other departments.