DrD@airshipper @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews "checks and balances" in a Federal system - eg in Australia, a more diverse Senate was able to vote down some of the more extreme legislation coming from the House of Reps when it was controlled by conservative parties.
Stybba3019@NZedAUS @airshipper @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews The major problem of the US Senate is that it is aggressively anti-majoritarian. If there was some way to weight their voting power to prevent a few low-population states from suppressing large-population states, then the damage of the Senate is reduced.
@Stybba3019 @airshipper @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews the 2 Senators per State formula locks in the anti-majoritarian equation. If you were starting all over again, you'd do it on a proportionate basis.
Michael Gemar@NZedAUS @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper That just re-creates the House, doesn’t it?
@michaelgemar @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper Australia's Senate is proportionate, as is its House of Reps.
Its pretty crazy that states like Wyoming & Montana have as much say and sway as CA and Texas for example.
Its pretty crazy that states like Wyoming & Montana have as much say and sway as CA and Texas for example.
@NZedAUS @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper I completely agree that the disproportionate sway low population states have is absurd and anti-democratic, but I’m not clear that just replicating the House makes a lot of sense — in that case, why not just abolish the Senate?
@michaelgemar @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper I don't think anyone was suggesting replicating the two legislatures, but that the Senate composition should be proportionate based on population.
mmalc*Very naively* (and not suggesting these are novel views), I can still see merit in the Senate in ensuring that the smaller states get adequate representation. At this point though IMHO it's gone too far, so we have the tyranny of the minority. And it's compounded by the EC. Replacing the EC with direct voting (ideally with some form of transferrable vote) would probably be the easiest first step. Even easier for Dem majority might be to get statehood for DC and/or Puerto Rico.
@mmalc well said.
Robin Adams@NZedAUS @michaelgemar @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper Not possible I'm afraid. Equal representation of the states in the Senate is the one part of the Constitution that Article V says cannot be amended.
dswinterton@robinadams @NZedAUS @michaelgemar @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper The way I read it, it is permissible if the states were all to consent. “…that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.” I know that would be a steep hill to climb, but not impossible. Or am I missing something?
Martin Vermeer FCD@dswinterton @robinadams @NZedAUS @michaelgemar @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper Probably simpler to split California into seven states, and merge the Dakotas. Who needs two Dakotas anyway?
@martinvermeer @dswinterton @robinadams @NZedAUS @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper And put together Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.
Chris L@robinadams @NZedAUS @michaelgemar @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper wow I don't remember ever hearing that before. How interesting. I guess the little states didn't completely trust the big states at the time. https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_United_States_of_America#Article._V.
PeachMcD@michaelgemar @NZedAUS @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper
The entire point of the Senate was to replicate the English House of Lords to prevent actual #Democracy from ever happening
I'm fine with getting rid of it & putting proportional representation in Congress, with #RankedChouceVoting
@PeachMcD @michaelgemar @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper the challenge in a large democracy is appropriate "checks and balances" btw competing arenas of power. Removing one chamber entirely, then ascribes huge power to the dominant party in one chamber. Unicameral systems are appropriate for smaller populations - less so in countries the size of the US.
@NZedAUS @PeachMcD @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper Sure, but checks and balances only works if there are competing interests and groups — if both houses are simply proportional to population, elected by the same population, I’m not sure it would produce the necessary competing check.
@michaelgemar @NZedAUS @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper
The point of Checks & Balances was to keep any one branch of govt from taking over ( looking at YOU #SCOTUS)
Not to balance out all interests. Some interests DESERVE more power - workers, for example
potpie@PeachMcD @michaelgemar @NZedAUS @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper it made sense when the separate governments of the early states needed to be coaxed into federating together, but now it's just a loophole for minoritarian fuckery
@potpie @PeachMcD @michaelgemar @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper the "minoratarian fuckery" can be addressed in large part by removing the EC, ensuring proportional representation in both chambers, ensuring straight majority votes and doing away with the filibuster. Not to mention gerrymandering by both parties.
Hopper The Cocker@PeachMcD @michaelgemar @NZedAUS @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper I like PR. And also ranked choice voting. Do you think having those systems would help third parties establish themselves in the States?
@hopper @PeachMcD @michaelgemar @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper absolutely - if you look at other PR electoral systems in Europe and Australasia, you see coalition gvts comprised of 3/4 parties where you tend to get a greater diversity of policy and perspective.
@hopper @michaelgemar @NZedAUS @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper
Not sure but definitely would be a move towards #RepresentativeGovernment - which is the opposite of #Fascism & #Oligarchy
Glenn@hopper @PeachMcD @michaelgemar @NZedAUS @kamalaharrisforpresidentnews @Stybba3019 @airshipper I'm not sure if ranked voting would help a third parties (it might) but it would mean that purity of thought to either party would matter a lot less. For example, if you were a Republican pushing for free childbirth healthcare today, you'd lose, but with ranked voting you might win.