I think a total ban goes too far. Lawmakers are still people who can own investments, and maybe the real issue is just transparency, not stopping them from trading at all. I am not sure how to defend that better, it is just my gut feeling.

Doesn't banning all trading feel like overkill when the real worry is hidden conflicts? You make a fair point that trust matters, and honestly I'm not sure how to argue back. Still, lawmakers are people too, so maybe rules about disclosure are enough.

Maybe the whole thing should be framed as trust versus fairness. A blanket ban treats every lawmaker like a crook, and that feels unfair, though I get why people want it. I can't really argue the trust part, so I'll just say disclosure sounds like the fairer fix.