4 ms·

Switzerland is a relatively small country though. Here in the US, we have 50 states that are each very different from each other. Their economies rely on differ

Switzerland is a relatively small country though. Here in the US, we have 50 states that are each very different from each other. Their economies rely on different industries, the natural hazards they face are very different and their cultures can be extremely different. To have such a large society being run that way would have lots of unintended consequences. Imagine a country where voters are so burnt out on voting for every policy that the response rate becomes extremely low - and the only people who vote on any given policy are the slim minority with vested interests.

n4r9 7y ago
Yes it's small but it's made up of 26 cantons which are very different from one another in similar ways, including economically and culturally. Half of the country's GDP comes from 4 cantons. They mitigate the "low response" phenomenon by encouraging political awareness from a young age and trust in public institutions. It's imperfect and it may be a massive task to make such cultural changes in the US, but I don't think there's anything inherently stopping it from scaling.
emptyparadise 7y ago
I think this is an indictment of the large nation state idea.
jdnenej 7y ago
Not Amercian but I'm wondering if it would be an insane idea to split America up in to a whole bunch of countries joined by something like how it works in the EU. That way Texas and California aren't trying to battle for a one size fits all government.
- lostlogin 7y ago
  Why would the turf battles end? Those that provide the most X will demand more in return. Those states that are given the most Y will fight tooth and nail to keep it. Someone will threaten to leave. Europe is quite the example.
- epiphanitus 7y ago
  I would say that the divisions in America are more urban vs. rural in nature. The big cities in Texas tend to be very diverse and most of them are very liberal overall. However, the state is huuuuuge and there are a lots of people living in suburbs and small towns who are not on the same page. Likewise California's rural areas can get very conservative. There just happen to be a lot more voters living in the cities.

n4r9 7y ago

Yes it's small but it's made up of 26 cantons which are very different from one another in similar ways, including economically and culturally. Half of the country's GDP comes from 4 cantons. They mitigate the "low response" phenomenon by encouraging political awareness from a young age and trust in public institutions. It's imperfect and it may be a massive task to make such cultural changes in the US, but I don't think there's anything inherently stopping it from scaling.

emptyparadise 7y ago

I think this is an indictment of the large nation state idea.

jdnenej 7y ago

Not Amercian but I'm wondering if it would be an insane idea to split America up in to a whole bunch of countries joined by something like how it works in the EU. That way Texas and California aren't trying to battle for a one size fits all government.

lostlogin 7y ago
Why would the turf battles end? Those that provide the most X will demand more in return. Those states that are given the most Y will fight tooth and nail to keep it. Someone will threaten to leave. Europe is quite the example.
epiphanitus 7y ago
I would say that the divisions in America are more urban vs. rural in nature. The big cities in Texas tend to be very diverse and most of them are very liberal overall. However, the state is huuuuuge and there are a lots of people living in suburbs and small towns who are not on the same page. Likewise California's rural areas can get very conservative. There just happen to be a lot more voters living in the cities.