Politicians & Political Rules: What Happens When the Fox Manages the Chicken Farm

In America we like to think that we have the democracy thing down pat. We don't. In fact when you look at the political process in Pennsylvania (for example), you realize that politicians create political rules that are advantageous to them, not necessarily to good government.

Right off the top of my head I can think of three examples that demonstrate this is graphic detail:

1. Cross-Filing - Happens very often in School Board races. Maybe someone can explain how it's logically possible to run as both a Democrat and a Republican at the same time.
   
2. Party-Line Lever Vote - Amazing how in Pennsylvania you can vote without thinking, simply by clicking on the box (or pulling the level) for the party-line vote. I'd love to do an NCIS-esque head-slap on the next person I see doing this.
   
3. Excluded Independents - Anyone registered as an Independent in Pennsylvania can't vote in the primary election. How is this not a form of disenfranchisement? The only reason I'm registered as a Democrat is because I want to vote in the primary. In reality I should be a registered Independent.

One of the biggest flaws in the American psyche is the fact that we find the process of admitting our mistakes to be painful at best, fatal at worst.