3 ms·

...but first-past-the-post block voting is one of the least fair.

• davidw 10y ago
  It's undeniable that it has problems. See my other comment about Italy, though: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12885052 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12885052 - it made me rethink the US system some. It does have some advantages, like generally pushing politics towards whatever the 'center' of the US is, and some more stability than an Italian-style (IIRC, Israel uses a similar system) parliamentary system.
  • jmanderley 10y ago
    Does "stability" mean "constantly gridlocked"?
    • davidw 10y ago
      It means not getting a new government each year first and foremost. That was extremely common in Italian politics up until about the 90ies. "Gridlock" can also be a feature for those who do not want to see one party have the power to do whatever they want. For instance, some Republicans are happy to see Obama get blocked at every turn just as some Democrats were happy to see GWB obstructed. It does seem like it's going farther and farther, with calls to block any supreme court nominations by Hillary, but gridlock in and of itself is something you occasionally get in a system with checks and balances.
      • jmanderley 10y ago
        We're beyond the point of "sometimes". And I don't think anyone is advocating copying the Italien governmental system?
        • davidw 10y ago
          Some people are smitten with the idea of purely proportional representation, so that "all voices" are heard.