3 ms·

If we had a parliamentary system, I would agree with you. But the actual on the ground reality is Congress does not represent the actual will of the people due

by xxpor 4y ago

If we had a parliamentary system, I would agree with you. But the actual on the ground reality is Congress does not represent the actual will of the people due to malaportionment.

bhupy 4y ago
The main implication here is that the policy making decision tree needs to change. Whereas before it was: Do we have the political will to enact this from sea to shining sea via Federal legislation? -> YES/NO -> Can we enact this from sea to shining sea via fiat through an existing administrative agency? -> YES/NO -> Can we enact this from sea to shining sea via the SCOTUS? -> YES/NO -> Can we enact this policy gradually via the States? -> YES/NO Now it is: Do we have the political will to enact this policy from sea to shining sea via Federal legislation? -> YES/NO -> Can we enact this policy gradually via the States? -> YES/NO The States themselves don't have the "malapportionment" problem, and insofar as Congress does, it's because the system was always set up for change to occur from the bottom-up, not the top-down. The EU refers to this as subsidiarity [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsidiarity_(European_Union) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsidiarity_(European_Union)]. Congress is structured in exactly the same way as the EU, as well as other federations like Australia and Switzerland.
rayiner 4y ago
Justin Trudeau became Prime Minister of Canada last year despite his party winning almost 200,000 fewer votes than Conservatives. Does that mean that Canada's Parliament "does not represent the actual will of the people?" If "we had a parliamentary system"--where the executive is selected by the Party that wins the most votes in the lower house--Bush still would have won in 2000 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_United_States_House_of_Re...) and Trump still would have won in 2016 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_United_States_House_of_Re...). If 'we had a parliamentary system" Biden would be shown the door next year when Republicans again win a majority of not only House seats, but total votes for House candidates.
- TheCoelacanth 4y ago
  Looking at the results for only the two largest parties when there are five parties in Canada's Parliament and none has an outright majority of seats is completely misleading. Trudeau can only govern with the support of the NDP. Liberals plus NDP got a majority of the popular vote[1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_breakdown_of_the_2021_Canadian_federal_election#Vote_shares https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_breakdown_of_the_2021_...

by xxpor 4y ago

If we had a parliamentary system, I would agree with you. But the actual on the ground reality is Congress does not represent the actual will of the people due to malaportionment.

bhupy 4y ago

The main implication here is that the policy making decision tree needs to change. Whereas before it was: Do we have the political will to enact this from sea to shining sea via Federal legislation? -> YES/NO -> Can we enact this from sea to shining sea via fiat through an existing administrative agency? -> YES/NO -> Can we enact this from sea to shining sea via the SCOTUS? -> YES/NO -> Can we enact this policy gradually via the States? -> YES/NO Now it is: Do we have the political will to enact this policy from sea to shining sea via Federal legislation? -> YES/NO -> Can we enact this policy gradually via the States? -> YES/NO The States themselves don't have the "malapportionment" problem, and insofar as Congress does, it's because the system was always set up for change to occur from the bottom-up, not the top-down. The EU refers to this as subsidiarity [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsidiarity_(European_Union) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsidiarity_(European_Union)]. Congress is structured in exactly the same way as the EU, as well as other federations like Australia and Switzerland.

rayiner 4y ago

Justin Trudeau became Prime Minister of Canada last year despite his party winning almost 200,000 fewer votes than Conservatives. Does that mean that Canada's Parliament "does not represent the actual will of the people?" If "we had a parliamentary system"--where the executive is selected by the Party that wins the most votes in the lower house--Bush still would have won in 2000 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_United_States_House_of_Re...) and Trump still would have won in 2016 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_United_States_House_of_Re...). If 'we had a parliamentary system" Biden would be shown the door next year when Republicans again win a majority of not only House seats, but total votes for House candidates.

TheCoelacanth 4y ago
Looking at the results for only the two largest parties when there are five parties in Canada's Parliament and none has an outright majority of seats is completely misleading. Trudeau can only govern with the support of the NDP. Liberals plus NDP got a majority of the popular vote[1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_breakdown_of_the_2021_Canadian_federal_election#Vote_shares https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_breakdown_of_the_2021_...