CCCToad on 25/11/2009 at 01:02
Quote:
...because OBVIOUSLY it is not the voting system itself so there would be no point in changing it, by making presidential elections direct for instance
Thats one of the points of the article's conclusion section, that the US election system isn't actually an election system.
Its actually hundreds of separately run elections in each county and district, compiled into one result.
However, I'm not sure a direct election would help because it would only magnify the impact of election fraud. Currently, any fraud-votes beyond what are needed to win the district's electoral vote are effectively lost.
One change I would like to see is to have each district award its vote independently, rather than states awarding all of their votes to the same candidate. Currently only one state does that.
Aerothorn on 25/11/2009 at 10:29
Which unfortunately isn't going to happen, because to do that the laws would need to be changed by Congress, which is dominated by the two major parties, who would never change that law because it would open the doors to third-party candidates.
CCCToad on 25/11/2009 at 14:41
Indeed it is unfortunate, I think that the two-party system is one of the main reasons US politics is so screwed up compared to many European democracies.
This is also bit off topic, but I also think it ties into why Americans find an intrusive or activist government so much more abhorrent than Europeans do. Our government is simply worse to deal with in just about every way: more corrupt, less efficient, and more callous in mis-using their powers.
Namdrol on 26/11/2009 at 07:49
Quote Posted by CCCToad
Indeed it is unfortunate, I think that the two-party system is one of the main reasons US politics is so screwed up compared to many European democracies.
This is also bit off topic, but I also think it ties into why Americans find an intrusive or activist government so much more abhorrent than Europeans do. Our government is simply worse to deal with in just about every way: more corrupt, less efficient, and more callous in mis-using their powers.
Don't know much about European Politics do you?
I don't want to get into a "my government is worse then yours" bullshit debate, but you don't have to look too far to find a choice of, as corrupt, as inefficient and as callous governments as you can find in the US.
Aerothorn on 26/11/2009 at 11:03
I'd take the USA over Italy any day.
CCCToad on 26/11/2009 at 20:14
Quote Posted by Namdrol
Don't know much about European Politics do you?
I don't want to get into a "my government is worse then yours" bullshit debate, but you don't have to look too far to find a choice of, as corrupt, as inefficient and as callous governments as you can find in the US.
Nope, not that much, I was just appealing to how nowadays its cool to hate on the US and talk about how Europe does everything much better.
