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Why must the will of these population centers be exercised at the highest level of our government in the first place? Surely they could just implement their pol

Why must the will of these population centers be exercised at the highest level of our government in the first place? Surely they could just implement their policies at the state level, unless, that is, the goal is not to make effective policy but to instead vindictively assert their will over their ideological rivals.

jfengel 6y ago
Uh... because they've got most of the population? Is this a trick question? Wasn't the whole idea that majority rules? If you're not going with majority rules, then what's the basis for picking this particular minority to vindictively assert their will over their ideological rivals?
- tengbretson 6y ago
  You seem stuck in this binary where you believe that if you are not ruling over some else they must be ruling over you.
  - jfengel 6y ago
    You're the one making the claim that the majority is going to rule vindictively. If you believe that they're worse at that than other people, it's on you to demonstrate it. Or to demonstrate that the minority singled out by the Electoral College is somehow especially better at it.
    - tengbretson 6y ago
      Lets put it this way: of all the policies that the OP sounded off on, which ones, if any, have had legislation pass through the senate addressing them? None? Spare me the talk of 'tyranny of the minority' in the senate. It's really telling as to the maturity level of those involved when the basis for calling out 'tyranny' is that those in the legislature simply say "no" to your whims, especially when those seeking change are more than capable of implementing those changes more locally but choose not to.
      - jfengel 6y ago
        I didn't mention any whims and I didn't say anything about "tyranny", so since you're apparently only interested in inventing a strawman and then calling it names, I'll let you have at it.
- roamerz 6y ago
  Bias? It’s called the electoral college. It’s part of that unpopular document called the United States Constitution.
  - jfengel 6y ago
    Yes, I'm precisely calling the electoral college a bias, and asking the OP to demonstrate why that bias would be better than a more equitable decision making mechanism.
    - roamerz 6y ago
      I think this is a pretty fair writeup that I agree with: https://www.engelska.uu.se/digitalAssets/299/c_299583-l_1-k_a-level-discussion-essay.the-advantages-of-the-electoral-college.pdf https://www.engelska.uu.se/digitalAssets/299/c_299583-l_1-k_...
  - UncleOxidant 6y ago
    > It’s part of that unpopular document called the United States Constitution. Which allowed slavery, counted those slaves as 3/5ths of a person for purposes of apportionment in Congress while not allowing those slaves to vote. The electoral college was part of the compromise with the slave states. Also didn't allow women to vote.
roamerz 6y ago
I agree with that to the extent that the States stick with the Constitution ie my right to bear arms is not infringed when I travel or a particular state or a state’s decision does not cause my taxes to raise in a different state where I live ie California trying to change vehicle emission laws.

jfengel 6y ago

Uh... because they've got most of the population? Is this a trick question? Wasn't the whole idea that majority rules? If you're not going with majority rules, then what's the basis for picking this particular minority to vindictively assert their will over their ideological rivals?

tengbretson 6y ago
You seem stuck in this binary where you believe that if you are not ruling over some else they must be ruling over you.
- jfengel 6y ago
  You're the one making the claim that the majority is going to rule vindictively. If you believe that they're worse at that than other people, it's on you to demonstrate it. Or to demonstrate that the minority singled out by the Electoral College is somehow especially better at it.
  - tengbretson 6y ago
    Lets put it this way: of all the policies that the OP sounded off on, which ones, if any, have had legislation pass through the senate addressing them? None? Spare me the talk of 'tyranny of the minority' in the senate. It's really telling as to the maturity level of those involved when the basis for calling out 'tyranny' is that those in the legislature simply say "no" to your whims, especially when those seeking change are more than capable of implementing those changes more locally but choose not to.
    - jfengel 6y ago
      I didn't mention any whims and I didn't say anything about "tyranny", so since you're apparently only interested in inventing a strawman and then calling it names, I'll let you have at it.
roamerz 6y ago
Bias? It’s called the electoral college. It’s part of that unpopular document called the United States Constitution.
- jfengel 6y ago
  Yes, I'm precisely calling the electoral college a bias, and asking the OP to demonstrate why that bias would be better than a more equitable decision making mechanism.
  - roamerz 6y ago
    I think this is a pretty fair writeup that I agree with: https://www.engelska.uu.se/digitalAssets/299/c_299583-l_1-k_a-level-discussion-essay.the-advantages-of-the-electoral-college.pdf https://www.engelska.uu.se/digitalAssets/299/c_299583-l_1-k_...
- UncleOxidant 6y ago
  > It’s part of that unpopular document called the United States Constitution. Which allowed slavery, counted those slaves as 3/5ths of a person for purposes of apportionment in Congress while not allowing those slaves to vote. The electoral college was part of the compromise with the slave states. Also didn't allow women to vote.

roamerz 6y ago

I agree with that to the extent that the States stick with the Constitution ie my right to bear arms is not infringed when I travel or a particular state or a state’s decision does not cause my taxes to raise in a different state where I live ie California trying to change vehicle emission laws.