It all starts in the boardroom—but the consequences are felt far beyond it. When Governance Breaks Down, Members Pay the Price Credit unions are built on a simple but powerful idea: they are owned by their members. Unlike traditional banks, where shareholders drive decisions, credit unions are meant to operate democratically—guided by a volunteer board elected by the very people they serve. But that model only works when participation exists. A governance breakdown happens when the people elected to oversee an institution stop truly representing the people who own it. In credit unions, this breakdown doesn’t usually come from scandal or sudden failure. It happens quietly, over time—through disengagement. The Root of the Problem: Low Engagement Most credit union members don’t vote. Board election turnout is typically in the low single digits. In some cases, it’s barely measurable. That means a very small percentage of the membership is effectively deciding who governs an institution th...
'Taxman' Why the IRS is necessary The Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, is a division of the US Treasury Department created in 1862 that enforces the Internal Revenue Code —Title 26 of the US Code, a compilation of federal statutes—and, effectively, oversees tax collection. In 2024, the IRS's roughly 75,000 employees collected roughly $5T in tax revenue. Given its role in diverting household income streams, it also has a bad reputation. Half of Americans had an "unfavorable view" of the IRS as of 2024 ( see data ). In a ranking of 16 well-known federal agencies by popularity that year, t...