"It is the creation of one-party rule in what is meant to be a democracy of conscience."

Point well taken:
Liberal Arts, critical thinking and conscience are of a piece in authenticating religion and politics. Liberal Arts, construed on ground experience of cultural rationality inform insights, stimulate critical thinking, and sharpen conscience.
We, The Public, are bombarded with media self-interest hype that muddles critical thinking and befuddles conscionable judgment. The Master of Hype is the persuasion winner. Conscience be darned. So much for intelligence; so much for conscience; so much for common sense and consensus meaning of well-being.
Let the dialog between intelligence and public hype begin in earnest.
A worry, however, is if "religion" is sufficiently credible in its rationality to make a difference. The divisive self-interests of competing religions erode any credibility they suppose. Authentic religion wells up from the people; befuddled religion befuddles conscience.