Mary NelsonJun 13, 2023
Laffy

✔️ Via Lawrence O'Donnell:

Imagine where this country would be today without the anti-democratic institution of the #ElectoralCollege which no democracy born after ours has copied.

#Trump never would’ve seen a classified document were it not for the Electoral College.
#TrumpIndictment

Jun 12, 2023 at 9:15pmWeb
Show threadBeachSlugJun 12, 2023
@GottaLaff
We also would have not gone to war in. Iraq and likely would have taken much more action to prevent climate change.
Show threadLeisureguyJun 12, 2023

@GottaLaff

The anti-democratic institution of the Electoral College pales in significance compared to the anti-democratic institution of the US Senate.

Show threadBronMason For Kamala 2024Jun 13, 2023

@Leisureguy @GottaLaff

True that … and its anti democratic effect is increased exponentially because it makes the already undemocratic electoral college even more undemocratic, because the number of electors allotted each state is equal to its number of Representatives (based on population) PLUS its number of Senators, which for every state regardless of population is two. Our only hope is for a migration of Democratic voters to toss-up states. #bluemigration

Show threadLeisureguyJun 13, 2023

@bronakins @GottaLaff

I have some hopes for the National Populaar Vote Interstate Compact:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Popular_Vote_Interstate_Compact

However, that is not a slam dunk.

National Popular Vote Interstate Compact - Wikipedia

Show threadJeroen van BergenJun 13, 2023
@Leisureguy @GottaLaff In my European eyes that is by far the strangest thing in the way Americans are represented. Besides the extreme influence of small states, it also widens the gap between the federation and the states. The simple solution would be one person, one vote, with each vote having exactly the same weight.
Show threadLeisureguyJun 13, 2023

@jeroenvanbergen @GottaLaff

I've read that though the US Constitution has served as a model for various national constitutions, no one copies the part about the US Senate. It is just obviously unfair. And with a proportionate Senate, the Electoral College problem is not a problem, though the EC is no longer needed, it being an artefact of the slow transportation and slow communication of the time.

Show threadJeroen van BergenJun 13, 2023
@Leisureguy @GottaLaff To be honest, all systems have problematic spots. Over here in The Netherlands we have 16 different parties that are represented in parliament. None of them has a majority, so it is hard for one party to get its way. This leads to decisions that are meant to satisfy all parties involved and thus are also disappointing for everyone. Is that really better? I do not know, but it seems to dampen the extreme shifts in policy.
Show threadDanette 🐬Jun 12, 2023
@GottaLaff could not agree more. Those who still support this arcane system say it would make states with very few people completely irrelevant but the EC already does that in a different way.
Show threadHistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴Jun 12, 2023

@GottaLaff

(1/n)

#USPol #USElections

Yes, but...

#AbolishTheElectoralCollege

...is just a start of what needs major mending in the #US electoral system:

#IntroduceProportionalRepresentation
#MakeGerrymanderingACrime
#StatehoodForDC
#StatehoodForPuertoRico
#DoubleNationality for #NativeAmericans,
#NoGunsNearTheVotingBooth

#ThomasJefferson "...wrote to #JamesMadison in #1789:"

"Every #constitution then, & 👉every law, naturally expires👈 at..." (1)

(1)
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-12-02-0248

Founders Online: Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 6 September 1789

Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 6 September 1789

Show threadHistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴Jun 12, 2023

@GottaLaff

(2/n)

"...the end of 19 years.👈
If it be 👉enforced longer, it is an act of force, & not of right. 👈
It may be said that the succeeding generation exercising in fact the power of repeal, this leaves them as free as if the constitution or law had been expressly limited to 19 years only." (1)

#Jefferson erred massively on the latter.

"...the last meaningful change to the #Constitution...
took..."

Show threadHistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴Jun 12, 2023

@GottaLaff

(3/4)

"...effect 👉[more than] 50 years ago👈..., extending the right to vote to all Americans age 18 and older." (2)

This was in 1971!

“We have an 👉amendment process that’s the hardest in the world to enact👈,” said #AzizRana, a professor of #ConstitutionalLaw at #CornellUniversity.
“That’s the reason why it’s basically 👉 a dead letter to enact constitutional amendments.👈
You have to have rolling #supermajorities across the country to do so.”
Out of almost 12,000..."

Show threadHistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴Jun 12, 2023

@GottaLaff

(4/4)

"...#amendments proposed 👉since the founding, only 27 have been adopted👈." (2)

The #Constitution was not made of diamonds and thus was never meant to be forever.

So, to get the #constitutional framework up to the 21st century level, more of a #legal #BigBang is needed.

#AbolishTheFilibuster might get constitutional reform finally started.

(2)
https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/180931

Jefferson Expected the Constitution to Last 19 Years. Where are We Now? | History News Network

Show threadEsslar2Jun 12, 2023
@GottaLaff Isn't it the case that the Electoral College was set up to keep someone like Trump from being president even if he won the election? So how is that working?
Show threadGaladJun 13, 2023
@GottaLaff No Trump or Bush.
Show threadDoug is riding the mastodon!Jun 16, 2023
@GottaLaff And no Bush the Junior. In recent history at least the electoral college winner and the popular vote winner were the same. And not to mention the US senate, where California has nearly 70 times (!!!) the population of Wyoming, but they have the same number of senators.