Election 2016: Don't overlook an out-of-control burgeoning bureaucracy

FILE - In this March 22, 2013 file photo, the exterior of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building in Washington. (AP)

With the political season in high gear, it is clear Americans are concerned about the top issues like terrorism and the economy.

And with the focus now squarely on the presidential race, it’s important to remember there’s another issue that demands the attention of all Americans – a burgeoning bureaucracy that is totally out-of-control.

The Constitution only allows for three branches of government – not a fourth branch.

Yet we have one.

This branch of government is elected by no one, ignored by the media, protected by the courts and by a complex web of laws and regulations: with job security so great that some federal employees are more likely to die on the job than be fired.

This new branch of government is the federal bureaucracy; it possesses a staggering amount of power, and it is not only increasingly partisan, it is increasingly corrupt and incompetent.

In the first edition of  my new book "UNDEMOCRATIC: How Unelected, Unaccountable Bureaucrats Are Stealing Your Liberty and Freedom" – I explained how we have created an unconstitutional, self-sustaining monster that is swallowing our democracy.

Now, in an updated and expanded version -- "UNDEMOCRATIC: Rogue, Reckless and Renegade: How the Government is Stealing Democracy One Agency at a Time" – we dig deeper – exposing the latest extreme abuses of power by top officials in the Obama administration’s bureaucracy.

The administration’s out-of-control bureaucracy continues to discriminate against conservatives and Christians, passes job-killing regulations that hurt our economy, and seethes with corruption.

We’ve well documented the abuse and corruption inside the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) which unlawfully targeted conservative and Tea Party groups because of their political beliefs.

As our litigation continues against the IRS in federal court, it’s important to note that this powerful bureaucracy continues, in many respects, with business as usual. It operates in a climate of arrogance that is still unchecked to this day.

Last year, investigators revealed that nearly 1,600 IRS employees – those responsible for enforcing our tax laws – actually willfully evaded paying their own taxes for up to a decade. And in some cases, these employees even received promotions and bonuses.

And what’s equally disturbing: a new report that reveals the new head of the agency’s ethics office “once oversaw the illegal shredding of documents sought by the federal tax agency’s inspector general (IG). . .”

In addition, several members of a newly-appointed leadership team inside the IRS – The Office of Professional Responsibility – used to work for former top IRS official Lois Lerner – who was at the center of the illegal targeting scheme. And according to reports, at least one of them “was involved in the targeting of conservative and Tea Party non-profit applicants.”

This bureaucratic nightmare is not limited to the IRS. There are numerous federal agencies that are engaging in an unchecked power play:

? A Veterans Administration scandal delaying life-saving health care treatment for thousands of our nation’s veterans.

? A Department of Health and Human Services abortion-pill mandate forcing employers to violate their religious beliefs.

? Climate-change regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency killing jobs and stifling the economy.

? National Labor Relations Board rules favoring union bosses over American workers.

As our nation’s unaccountable and unelected bureaucrats’ power continues to grow exponentially, the ability of the government to control itself and those in power continues to deteriorate. If we don’t do something about it before it’s too late, we risk a dangerous transformation -- from a nation of laws into a nation of men and women corrupted by power and incapable of justice.

We continue the important work to reform the broken system. This requires long-term strategy and diligence, building coalitions and establishing and strengthening institutions that impact our culture. So elections can succeed in giving us representatives and leaders who fear the people instead of instilling fear in the people.

These fights are important. The federal bureaucracy wants us to think that one American can’t change the course of history. They want us to be apathetic and they want us to feel defeated.

But we are achieving real victories -- in courts, on Capitol Hill, and in communities from coast to coast.

We must assure the American people that we will always be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Left unchecked, a burgeoning bureaucracy is a real danger to America.