4 ms·

The Senate and the Electoral College are a basic part of the problem here. For example, Los Angeles County alone has a greater population than entire states but

The Senate and the Electoral College are a basic part of the problem here. For example, Los Angeles County alone has a greater population than entire states but gets a fraction of the proportional representation of Rhode Island.

anonymouse008 4y ago
As it should. The problems that affect LA County are vastly different than RI - we should never cater the Federal to local aims. That was the original understanding... the most ubiquitous should be discussed at the federal level, not the mundane. Identity politics made everything ubiquitous to everyone - which ruined the whole lot - now we are eating ourselves from the inside out.
- midoridensha 4y ago
  The original understanding was wrong, and federal governments are wrong and should be abolished. A unitary government is better for democracy. People shouldn't lose representation just because they live in a place with more people than another place.
  - anonymouse008 4y ago
    So this future is only possible if technology creates extremely tight vote loops -> or in the abstract, technology enables greater representation. The Federal Government basically admits that the unitary policy is not the global, or Pareto, optimum - this analysis was made when votes took orders of magnitude more effort to produce and tabulate, does that thesis need to be revisited?? I think so, or at least re-affirmed what deserves to be at the National level vs. the state.
- test098 4y ago
  > The problems that affect LA County are vastly different than RI - we should never cater the Federal to local aims Except now it's reversed: RI - with a fraction of citizens of LA county - is catering Federal to local aims. Not sure how identity politics ruined the electoral college but go off.
  - anonymouse008 4y ago
    The things we federally legislate + judicature, which now affects what we see as the things we execute - that has a feedback loop into the L + J - are not what we should discuss at the federal level - i.e. everyone's 'problems' with the electoral college having too much influence... yes, exactly, the worry is about things that shouldn't matter - that's the design, don't discuss stupid things up in the power centers. [Edit] Identity politics is the 'cheater' in the US government prisoners dilemma. Now everyone cheats, and we get less utility out of the system.
legitster 4y ago
I think that would be less important though in a world where national politics took second stage. Senators on paper are only a procedural body. Their ability to jam up legislation in the current era has largely been a function of their need to draw votes.
Ekaros 4y ago
Yes. Get rid of all divisions. Move everything in to single central government. With representatives voted in in single proportional pool. The x hundred top vote winners get elected. Remove all levels below single central government run in Washington DC...

anonymouse008 4y ago

As it should. The problems that affect LA County are vastly different than RI - we should never cater the Federal to local aims. That was the original understanding... the most ubiquitous should be discussed at the federal level, not the mundane. Identity politics made everything ubiquitous to everyone - which ruined the whole lot - now we are eating ourselves from the inside out.

midoridensha 4y ago
The original understanding was wrong, and federal governments are wrong and should be abolished. A unitary government is better for democracy. People shouldn't lose representation just because they live in a place with more people than another place.
- anonymouse008 4y ago
  So this future is only possible if technology creates extremely tight vote loops -> or in the abstract, technology enables greater representation. The Federal Government basically admits that the unitary policy is not the global, or Pareto, optimum - this analysis was made when votes took orders of magnitude more effort to produce and tabulate, does that thesis need to be revisited?? I think so, or at least re-affirmed what deserves to be at the National level vs. the state.
test098 4y ago
> The problems that affect LA County are vastly different than RI - we should never cater the Federal to local aims Except now it's reversed: RI - with a fraction of citizens of LA county - is catering Federal to local aims. Not sure how identity politics ruined the electoral college but go off.
- anonymouse008 4y ago
  The things we federally legislate + judicature, which now affects what we see as the things we execute - that has a feedback loop into the L + J - are not what we should discuss at the federal level - i.e. everyone's 'problems' with the electoral college having too much influence... yes, exactly, the worry is about things that shouldn't matter - that's the design, don't discuss stupid things up in the power centers. [Edit] Identity politics is the 'cheater' in the US government prisoners dilemma. Now everyone cheats, and we get less utility out of the system.

legitster 4y ago

I think that would be less important though in a world where national politics took second stage. Senators on paper are only a procedural body. Their ability to jam up legislation in the current era has largely been a function of their need to draw votes.

Ekaros 4y ago

Yes. Get rid of all divisions. Move everything in to single central government. With representatives voted in in single proportional pool. The x hundred top vote winners get elected. Remove all levels below single central government run in Washington DC...