Want More Trust in Congress? Ban Them From Stock Trading.

America’s political leaders almost never let a crisis go to waste… when it comes to personally lining their pockets.

The latest example involves last month’s banking crisis. The New York Times reported on Wednesday, “At least eight members of Congress or their close relatives sold shares of bank stocks in March.” As the Times noted, this constitutes yet another example of how “members of Congress continue to buy and sell stocks and other financial assets in industries that intersect with their official duties.”

Though not illegal, this sort of behavior contributes to the erosion of trust that Americans have in their elected officials, institutions, and elites.