steps to fixing American politcal problems

[kingjoshi]

1) Changing the voting method to two rounds. The top two candidates from the first round go on to round two. And this ensures a majority vote for every winner.

2) Eliminating Electoral College and have the same voting method for PotUS.

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- This allows for people to vote with their heart in the first round. People are more likely to "throw away" a vote even if they don't think the candidate can win overall.

- More people will vote because there will more likley be a candidate that shares more of their beliefs.

- Congress will be more representative of the public

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Thoughts on my proposal? What would you suggest?

 

[colontos]

1) Changing the voting method to two rounds. The top two candidates from the first round go on to round two. And this ensures a majority vote for every winner.

This would not change anything in America. The top two candidates would always (except for a few local elections, maybe) be the Republican and the Democrat. The second election would only exclude third parties. A majority is not particularly necessary, just Americans don't worry much about mandates and such.

2) Eliminating Electoral College and have the same voting method for PotUS.

I agree with this. We have the technology to just go by popular vote accurately now, so let's do it.

One thing I wholeheartedly oppose is proportional representation in Congress. Then every time we have an election there is the laborious and often fragile process of coalition building. Personally I'm glad that American governments don't collapse as frequently as, say, Italian ones.

 

[Keshik]

Changing the way the leaders are chosen won't mean you'll get the government you want. I don't think we need to change our election process, other than preventing fraud more effectively. The scope of the federal government should be brought under control. It is a juggernaut bent on reaching absolute power and absolute power corrupts absolutely. When the power of government is reduced, then the amount of damage done by the inherently flawed human beings in government will be reduced.

 

[Rhymes]

Fouding a milice and overthrowing the party in power, and then changing the constituion.

Besides that I don't see how its possible unless you can manage to change the way every single american thinks.

 

[CartesianFart]

America is fine as it is,Joshi,you are in way too much of the passion of the day on regarding the distribution of American politics.I say the system works.Brilliant if you ask me.

 

[kingjoshi]

Mathematically, a majority vote system leads to a two party system. The run-off method makes multiple parties viable. That for me is important. People grudgingly vote for the lesser of two evils in our system. A person, unless they're astronomically rich or already famous, they has to join the Republican or Democrat party to get elected. Well, there are a few Independents, but it's such a minor number that it's almost insignificant.

But worse, IMO, is that with a two party system, issues always get portrayed in a black/white frame.

However, it's possibly true that one of my hopes of this change (more people getting involved in politics) wouldn't occur. But this change seems unlikely anyway, for now...

 

[sysyphus]

Adopt the British Parliamentary System.

 

[Masquerouge]

America is fine as it is,Joshi,you are in way too much of the passion of the day on regarding the distribution of American politics.I say the system works.Brilliant if you ask me.

There seems to be a slight flaw with lobbying and party finances, though. Or so the judiciary system seems to think.

 

[Irish Caesar]

1) Changing the voting method to two rounds. The top two candidates from the first round go on to round two. And this ensures a majority vote for every winner.

I don't like it. It's hard enough to get people to vote once, let alone twice. If anything, this allows less of a chance for third parties, because they won't likely be able to make enough of an effect on an election to make either of the two parties re-think their stance.

2) Eliminating Electoral College and have the same voting method for PotUS.

Hell no.

You'd never win an election by caring about the states in between New York and California.

 

[Riesstiu IV]

Drop a nuclear bomb on Washington DC.

 

[Evil Tyrant]

The solution is simple, install me as dictator for life. If anyone does not do what I tell them to, they get shot. There will no longer be any partisan squabling because only my supporters will have a voice. If you don't like the idea of me in charge of the country, Riesstiu's idea sounds good.

 

[Inqvisitor]

The tree of liberty needs some watering, so to speak. American political problems will sadly likely not be solved without vast amounts of bloodshed and chaos.
The old system will not survive this century; revolution is the solution and it is imminent.

 

[ummmm........]

I don't like it. It's hard enough to get people to vote once, let alone twice.

Aw c'mon. Who doesn't love a playoff?

 

[Tenochtitlan]

Actually, that sounds like a great idea. (double layer vote system)

 

[Colonel]

Well I now know why the American two party system hasnt changed in a 150 something years. There are no possible soultions to fix it that would make it better.

A multi party system ends up making the government run even slower in the decesion making process and with military responses.

As for the electoral college, lose it as it is just a formality, although this would cause an even greater divide between urban and rural people, as Republicans would campaign alot more in a larger area. The Democracts would stick to cities and hope for their population to off set the rural areas.

 

[sysyphus]

A multi party system ends up making the government run even slower in the decesion making process and with military responses.

So China, with only one party, must have an even better government?

 

[Dann]

A multi party system ends up making the government run even slower in the decesion making process and with military responses.

Agreed. I come from a nation with just such a set-up. Because the government inevitably becomes a ruling coalition of several small victorious political parties opposed by another coalition of small losing political parties, every politician ends up more concerned with horse trading and maintaining power instead of really fulfilling their roles. Executive decisions are routinely bogged down in endless discussions. The legislature spends all its time investigating one scandal and the next instead of reviewing or enacting laws. The list goes on...

So China, with only one party, must have an even better government?

Also no. Sure it's efficient now, because the present crop of leaders are sane and intellligent. But with nothing to check and balance it, what's to prevent another slide into chaos when insane demagouges take over?

So in conclusion the US 2 party system is fine the way it is. Polarization is a small price to pay for the efficiency brought along by powerful parties that have the clout to push their principles through. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

 

[bhsup]

The electoral college is fine. If it needs any tweaking, it should be to make all States getting only one vote each, not its abolishment. I've tried to explain this, but the people do not elect the President, they help determine how their State will vote in the EC, unified and with one voice.

"Missouri votes for <whoever>".

As far as 'fixing' the system, it's not broken to begin with. We have one of the oldest governments in the world and it's amazingly stable. Pretty much echoing Dann's "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" comment.

 

[sysyphus]

So in conclusion the US 2 party system is fine the way it is. Polarization is a small price to pay for the efficiency brought along by powerful parties that have the clout to push their principles through. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Seems to me that there are a considerable number of Americans who feel that it is in fact broke. Two parties may be more decisive, but it has also left many Americans feeling that their views are not represented in their government. The difference between the two parties is pretty miniscule, all I can tell is that the Democrats wear lighter coloured suits and have slightly longer hair.

Look at the UK and Canada, two countries with more than two parties in the Commons. Our governments are just as effective as the American government, some woul dargue even more so.

Not every multi-party country is like Italy or Argentina.

 

[kingjoshi]

The system is broke. Just because a hurricane hasn't come that was significant enough for you doesn't mean the levees don't need fixing. We should try to improve ourselves as well as our political system (plus a whole lot more). We can't be over-confident about success or let ourselves stagnate.

Why should one voter from Alaska have 40x the weight versus a Californian? One vote per state in the Presidential election? Yeah, we're a Republic and not a Democracy, but what sense does that make?