Equality before law is part of our Reformed heritage. We Presbyterians claim to understand, better than non-Calvinists, the depth of sin and depravity that affects even the church itself and requires laws and public accountability. Community is based on trust, not coercion. This is one reason that self-regulation, based in the Stated Clerk's office on the model of annual congregational reports, and including theological statements not formerly part of chapter 9, was favored by the Assembly. The authority of the Assembly is founded on trust, so that to strengthen our common bond requires measures that encourage trust.
Mutual respect starts at the symbolic center.
If the General Assembly is ideally the place of blessing, then healthy organizations respect the agency of the Clerkship by submitting information. Most people understand that many candidates are discouraged from running, and many people are discouraged from voting. The cost of a congressional seat can be as low as a few hundred thousand in uncontested districts in inexpensive TV markets. All this leads to vastly unequal access to tax breaks, unequal liability, covert subsidies, adding to social inequality. One Manhattan zip code, for example, produces more special interest money than the entire population of the 15 poorest states.