Foreign Policy has this article by Lee Drutman, suggesting that the United States would be better off with a multi-party system. He writes, “All else equal, modest multiparty democracies (with three to seven parties) perform better than two-party democracies. Such a party system regularizes cross-partisan compromises and coalition building. Since parties need to work together to govern, more viewpoints are likely to be considered.”
Maybe, maybe not. However, until we have widespread proportional representation, two large parties will continue to win the most legislative seats.
Mike & David,
How do you explain the occurrence of multi-party representation in Canada & UK, which like the US use single-member districts for their Houses of Commons?
A pretty good article. I would add that increasing the size of the House of Representatives (which they mentioned), and dividing larger states into smaller states (which they didn’t mention) would make the Electoral College more representative of the popular vote without abolishing the Electoral College, without either a constitutional amendment or an interstate popular vote compact.
DWP–
AA. Canada does NOT have UNEQUAL ballot access laws.
BB. All minority rule gerrymander area elections [as in Canada] are –
by definition LOCAL –
LOCAL commie / fascist / whatever plurality winners — as in BRIT rotted horse races.
SOME USA commies/fascists elected using false/deceptive D/R party labels – esp in ghetto cities / rural areas.
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PR and AppV and TOTSOP.
In Canada & the U.K. the population represented by each M.P. is around 100,000 with a wider variation of population between ridings/Districts than the utterly insane policy (forced on ALL the states by the Warren court in the 1960’s) of virtually identical populations between U.S. House Districts within each state with multiple seats. The U.S. had a history of “single-issue” parties or Unaffiliated [Independents] Representatives being elected all the way up to World War II.
In the 1920 census, the U.S. population was about 106 million vs. 2020’s estimate of maybe 330(?) million. Adding another 750-1,000 House representatives at one time in the next few years would return us to a similar population/representative of the Inter-war period. So while increasing by 2 1/2 or 3 times House membership might create more work for gerrymanderers, it’s probable that in at least in some of the states that have 4 or more House members, we would start seeing the election of a few single-issue or single-state party candidates within a decade if not sooner.
Incidentally, Canada still adds M.P.’s seats based on population growth recorded in it’s decennial census. So keeping seats at around 200-250 Thousand people should, over the long-run broaden party membership in the House. Additionally, it’s likely that over time in some of the largest states some Representatives would be more willing to compromise on SOME issues supporting their voter’s view over the National Party dictates.
Mob scenes = FATAL for legislative bodies
USA H Reps went fatal in 1870-1873 – higher pct of Reps for ex-slave States – due 13/14-2 amdts.
No N/W State wanted to lose a Rep seat.
How many square inches remaining in the USA H Reps chamber / room – for ANY more Reps ???
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See today mob scene Elephants attack in H. Reps committee room re impeachment stuff.
Akin to RIOTS in various foreign legis bodies.
Range of normal/quiet human voice – without electronics ???
More/Less govt CONTROL ??? – mob not needed.
Even a 3 member PR group can determine LAWS.
https://www.npr.org/2019/10/23/772684629/republicans-disrupt-house-impeachment-inquiry-delaying-testimony-from-pentagon-a
elephants attack
To follow on to what Walter said, about more practical changes that don’t involve a constitutional amendment: Do away with winner take all distribution of electoral votes, like Maine and Nebraska.
Added benefit to having electoral votes being won on a congressional district basis: Reducing the benefits of gerrymandering. Since the district serves two purposes, making too many districts “safe” for a party’s individual legislators could end up minimizing the potential resulting presidential electoral votes.
A problem may be that larger states may be unwilling to do this unless the other large states do it as well. But just as with the “popular vote compact” states could pass laws to switch to the Maine/Nebraska method of allocating Electoral Votes, conditioned on other states doing the same.
SL–
2019-2020 USA GOVT MINORITY RULE GERRYMANDER MATH, 7 MAY 2019 V2
GERRYMANDER LOWLITES MINI SUMMARY —
A. 30.3 PERCENT OF THE VOTERS ELECTED 218 D USA REPS OF 435 TOTAL IN 2018.
B. 19.2 PERCENT OF THE VOTERS ELECTED 50 R USA SENATORS OF 100 TOTAL IN 2014-2018.
C. 25.7 PERCENT OF THE VOTERS ELECTED R PREZ TRUMP IN 2016 – 270 of 538 ECV – 28 STATES + MECD2.
All 99 houses of the 50 State Legis [and many local legis bodies] are mini-copies of the USA H Reps.
[bit worse in top 2 primary regimes — CA, LA, WA, etc. — more D/R NON-votes]
Thus — 51 main gerrymander monarch/oligarch regimes –
now quite ready and able for Civil W-A-R II.
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PR and AppV and TOTSOP
The 2019 CRISIS
https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/10/impeachment-inquiry-republicans-matt-gaetz
More on the Elephant stunt machination / SUBVERSION of the USA H Reps RULES TODAY.
Will Pelosi now display the USA H Reps MACE and use FORCE via the H Reps Sgt at Arms / Capitol Police ???
Earlier – fights in Congress between the gerrymander HACKS [over slavery] just before Civil War I.
More recent – overthrow of Russia Duma in Jan 2018 by Lenin gang.
Attacks in German Parl by nazis in 1932 >>> lead to Hitler tyranny in Jan-Mar 1933.
Minuteperson forces forming NOW ???
Waiting for Alarm Bells ringing NOW ???
See many units of Minutemen in Mass on 19 Apr 1775 – Day 1 of the Am Rev WAR.
[women supply food and water, care for injured]
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PR and Appv and TOTSOP.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mace_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives
Vestige of the Roman Republic —
killed off by the TYRANT/Emperor Augustus Caesar 27 BC.
Canada and the U.K. are still a two-party system. But they have better ballot access laws, so that minor parties can focus on campaigning and winning the odd seat.
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