The recently-concluded legislative session was a mess. I’m not talking about the content of legislation that the General Assembly passed. I’m talking about the process – failure to properly discipline a very ethically-challenged senator, an unwillingness to tackle the state’s persistent structural deficit, ignoring the state’s looming pension crisis, and, of course, the whole budget debacle. Liberal or conservative, every Marylander should be troubled by this legislative session.

MPPI board member Larry Hogan gives one solution to the problems that plague Annapolis: “Of course, the only real solution is reinvigorated two-party competition in Maryland. Perennial one-party rule truncates debate, deters new ideas, elevates a clique of special interests and lobbyists, and breeds diminished accountability among our leaders.”

I tend to agree. I’m not saying that we’d be better off if the Republican Party was in charge, but that we’d be better off if there was a chance that the Republican Party could be in charge. Competition in politic is good, just as it is in business.

I’ve lived in two other areas that had one-party rule. Idaho, where I grew up, is now an exclusively Republican state. The District of Columbia, where I lived before moving to Maryland, is a Democratic bastion. In Idaho, we had some real morons elected to office merely because they had an “R” after their name. In DC, it’s clear that the political system is deeply flawed when someone like Marion Barry is returned to office again and again. In one-party systems, being a member of the right party is enough to get you elected again and again, regardless of your actual performance in office.

In the 2010 election, many of the state’s politicians faced little serious opposition in either the primary or general election. Maryland is a Democratic state and, even in conservative areas, Democrats have an edge. The lack of realistic competition means that it’s unlikely a legislator will be kicked out of office for his or her actions (or inactions).

Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Mike Busch are essentially guaranteed their legislative seats for as long as they want. Their failure to make their legislative chambers complete the budget process will have no consequences for their jobs. Sure, they get some bad press, but if they run again in 2014, they’ll be re-elected.

If the state were more evenly divided, Republican challengers to our legislative leaders could pose a threat if these legislators don’t do their jobs. The prospect of being thrown out of office has a real effect on politicians. It causes them to be more pro-active, more responsive to constituents, and better at their jobs. With that competition lacking in Maryland, though, we get the type of government we saw in the General Assembly this year.

The Maryland GOP is generally feckless, at least at the state level. A better-organized party could help introduce this competition, but it may have to forge a path different from the national GOP. Maryland is a liberal state. If the GOP is to compete, it has to find a way to attract not just the rural conservatives but also the suburban and urban moderates. I have no idea how it would do this, but we’d be better off if the party leadership would focus on expanding the party than whatever it is they are doing now (can anyone tell me? Anyone? Bueller?).

Liberal Marylanders may not want a more conservative party to hold power in Annapolis. But the overwhelming liberal dominance in our state has led to a situation where those in office are failing to do their jobs. A more robust two-party system would lead to better government, and that’s something that all Marylanders, regardless of their political views, should welcome.