The presidential elections coming up in 2008 are going to be scary. We as Americans will have to choose between a Democrat and a Republican that we know will not live up to their promises. But this is not because we don't have an abundance of great leaders in this country, it's just that we have a highly flawed political system. In the 2004 election we had to choose between Bush (I don't really think I need to say more about that...) and a loaded, WASPy John Kerry. My favorite current political system is the one which Germany has been using since the fall of the Berlin Wall. In our system, we have to always choose the lesser of two evils and if we want our vote to "count" we must vote either Republican or Democrat. I find both parties to be repulsive and each has its fatal flaws. This country will continue to lose ground to the EU and Asia (hell, Dubai and the UAE might overtake us at this rate) if we don't fix our flawed system.
In Germany the parliament is split into two sections, a lower house and an upper house. In the elections for the upper house, it is done the same way we do the Senate here in the US, but the lower house is where the German system shines. People don't vote for candidates for congress like we do, but rather for a specific party instead. So if you support the Green Party, you can vote for the party, and if it gets a minimum of 5% of the votes in the national election, the party is guaranteed 5% of the seats regardless of whether or not that party won in any specific district. This makes it so people can feel comfortable voting for a party that might not win the majority and not just waste their vote like I do when I vote for the Libertarian party here in the US.
By having only two parties, it ensures that only those who conform to the polarized parties can get any support in an election. California is a great example of this, while we generally vote about 7% for the third parties in any given election, we have only Democrats and Republicans representing us. That means that those of us who actually research our candidates based on their views and qualifications are at a disadvantage to the masses who just vote for the name they recognize most, which is ALWAYS a Democrat or Republican. So while I am looking at the issues that really matter, most voters are focused on a hot-button election issue that will not come up during the tenure of that elected official. Either that, or they follow the person who claims that they will lower taxes. Californians would be very well served if they had members of congress to be advocates for their beliefs, and when there are only two choices, most of us go unfulfilled.
Election turnout in the US is always below 60%. People feel that their votes don't count, and they are (for the most part) correct. I may help elect a Democrat in my congressional district because I don't want a Republican to win, but what if I find the Democrats to be just as bad as the Republicans? I will have to vote for the lesser of two evils, and that's just not right. We complain about our fractured system, and then we do nothing to change it. We let congress Gerrymander districts to ensure partisan dominance in most districts, and we never vote for anyone who doesn't fit the norm. We wonder why we have so few choices for higher offices like President and Governor, that's because to be an elected official these days, one mustn't have real opinions that differ from the party which that person is affiliated with. As long as we live in this two-party system, we will find ourselves dissatisfied with our government. Afterall, how can you be happy with your choice when you only had two options: a giant douche and a turd sandwich? We can learn a lesson from Germany, the more parties that have a chance to gain power, the more of a say the people will have.
In Germany the parliament is split into two sections, a lower house and an upper house. In the elections for the upper house, it is done the same way we do the Senate here in the US, but the lower house is where the German system shines. People don't vote for candidates for congress like we do, but rather for a specific party instead. So if you support the Green Party, you can vote for the party, and if it gets a minimum of 5% of the votes in the national election, the party is guaranteed 5% of the seats regardless of whether or not that party won in any specific district. This makes it so people can feel comfortable voting for a party that might not win the majority and not just waste their vote like I do when I vote for the Libertarian party here in the US.
By having only two parties, it ensures that only those who conform to the polarized parties can get any support in an election. California is a great example of this, while we generally vote about 7% for the third parties in any given election, we have only Democrats and Republicans representing us. That means that those of us who actually research our candidates based on their views and qualifications are at a disadvantage to the masses who just vote for the name they recognize most, which is ALWAYS a Democrat or Republican. So while I am looking at the issues that really matter, most voters are focused on a hot-button election issue that will not come up during the tenure of that elected official. Either that, or they follow the person who claims that they will lower taxes. Californians would be very well served if they had members of congress to be advocates for their beliefs, and when there are only two choices, most of us go unfulfilled.
Election turnout in the US is always below 60%. People feel that their votes don't count, and they are (for the most part) correct. I may help elect a Democrat in my congressional district because I don't want a Republican to win, but what if I find the Democrats to be just as bad as the Republicans? I will have to vote for the lesser of two evils, and that's just not right. We complain about our fractured system, and then we do nothing to change it. We let congress Gerrymander districts to ensure partisan dominance in most districts, and we never vote for anyone who doesn't fit the norm. We wonder why we have so few choices for higher offices like President and Governor, that's because to be an elected official these days, one mustn't have real opinions that differ from the party which that person is affiliated with. As long as we live in this two-party system, we will find ourselves dissatisfied with our government. Afterall, how can you be happy with your choice when you only had two options: a giant douche and a turd sandwich? We can learn a lesson from Germany, the more parties that have a chance to gain power, the more of a say the people will have.
posted by Dan Pasternack at 4:59 PM
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