Did you know that a 2022 study found lawmakers' personal stock trades actually underperform the broader market? The myth of the insider-trading congressman is mostly just that. So banning individual stocks solves a problem that's mostly perception, not reality. The real issue is enforcement. We already have the STOCK Act, which makes insider trading by officials a felony. The problem isn't missing rules, it's weak teeth. Banning trades outright treats the symptom while ignoring the system that creates conflicts. And here's where unintended consequences kick in. If you force officials to dump everything, they'll just park money in blind trusts or have spouses trade. You're not eliminating conflicts, you're driving them underground where voters can't even see them. Plus, you'd be making public service far less appealing to people with actual investment experience. We want leaders who understand how markets work, not just bureaucrats who've never owned a stock. Tighten disclosure, fund the enforcement, and keep the transparency. That's better than an overbroad ban that creates more shadows than it eliminates.

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