When writing documents for people in my line of work, we would sometimes embed instructions to call a phone number in the middle to see if the reader ever got that far.

I find myself smiling at the fantasy of adding a paragraph to page 1137, Section 42, Subsection 19b of Bill X which states: “Any legislators who have voted YES on this Act are summarily dismissed. All other provisions of this Act are hereby voided.”

Throw that one in at random intervals; see if readership increases.

I know, I know…they’d have interns read the things, and you can’t dump Congresspeople like that, but it made me smile nonetheless.

As to the actual thrust of your piece, I completely agree. Even for sincere legislators, looking responsive is just as effective as being responsive, without all that pesky risk and responsibility.

Like so many other positions in governments and large corporations where cover is available from other quarters, not having acted is often perceived as much safer than having risked action.