2 ms·

And what's the result of "failing"? A popularly elected representative gets automatically removed from the house because he failed some arbitrary attendance thr

by qwytw 5y ago

And what's the result of "failing"? A popularly elected representative gets automatically removed from the house because he failed some arbitrary attendance threshold or a test which is going to biased by whomever designed/approved it? I don't think there is an easy way out of this, the "quality" of politicians can only improve if the majority of the people voting for them actually started caring about the actual work they do when elected (instead of basing their decisions entirely on the party they represent, their public image etc.)

buran77 5y ago
A popularly elected representative who does not represent has failed their mandate. The "contract" of democracy is (at least morally) "vote for representation". Without the representation that person is no more entitled to be there than any other random person if you ask me. At the very least in the next election cycle the people will know who represents them and how.
- qwytw 5y ago
  Tell that to Sinn Fein MPs who were elected to the British parliament in all the elections since 1997 but any of whom is yet to attend a single session. Abstaining from participating in parliament when you're elected or participating in unconstructive ways (i.e. by being disruptive etc.) is a legitimate behaviour. As long as you're transparent about your intentions to behave so to your voters, removing such MPs without an election would be authoritarian. If he/she is not transparent about this and this is/becomes a widespread problem it's preferable to decrease the duration of office terms or allow recall elections instead of instituting arbitrary rules (which will have to be approved by the ruling party/coalition and therefore will likely be designed in such a would which would favour them over opposition parties).

2 ms·

And what's the result of "failing"? A popularly elected representative gets automatically removed from the house because he failed some arbitrary attendance thr

by qwytw 5y ago

buran77 5y ago
A popularly elected representative who does not represent has failed their mandate. The "contract" of democracy is (at least morally) "vote for representation". Without the representation that person is no more entitled to be there than any other random person if you ask me. At the very least in the next election cycle the people will know who represents them and how.
- qwytw 5y ago
  Tell that to Sinn Fein MPs who were elected to the British parliament in all the elections since 1997 but any of whom is yet to attend a single session. Abstaining from participating in parliament when you're elected or participating in unconstructive ways (i.e. by being disruptive etc.) is a legitimate behaviour. As long as you're transparent about your intentions to behave so to your voters, removing such MPs without an election would be authoritarian. If he/she is not transparent about this and this is/becomes a widespread problem it's preferable to decrease the duration of office terms or allow recall elections instead of instituting arbitrary rules (which will have to be approved by the ruling party/coalition and therefore will likely be designed in such a would which would favour them over opposition parties).