The new members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate who will be elected must show in their action that the much admired American representative democracy is still vibrant. Perhaps one way to bring about a new a new beginning, no matter who wins the majority in the House or Senate, is for the incumbents to seek greater accountability in policy-making from the executive. For starters, there has to be a change in foreign policy direction to restore confidence in the U.S. again. Iraq is perhaps the most obvious reason.

The new members must push for a clear and transparent time-table to withdraw from Iraq. No military solution is possible in the Iraqi conflict -- only a political one. Furthermore, the Iraqi war has damaged the United States' moral leadership in the world. The idea that democracy can be achieved by force is a delusion.

In fact, another way to make accountability a reality is to launch an investigation into the decision to go war in Iraq. The Iraqi war is at the heart of a U.S. foreign policy that has not only alienated friends, it has undermined the war on terror. Furthermore, the new members must also campaign for greater accountability in international policy-making, which means a greater U.S. effort to seek international consensus over international issues, such as climate change, trade, UN reform and development aid -- rather than acting unilaterally. In a globalized world where nations are increasingly interconnected, no country, no matter how powerful, can remain an island, cut-off from the consequences of its actions and policies.