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I don’t think there’s any advantage to that. Also, how do you deal with immigrants who weren’t even born in any state? Or are you relying that state records tra

I don’t think there’s any advantage to that. Also, how do you deal with immigrants who weren’t even born in any state? Or are you relying that state records track people as they move? That seems unwise given how bad states are at maintaining those records / people tend to often not update the state about moving. Or do you have a national registry for immigrants and a statewide for those those born within the US? Oh and how do you deal with children of soldiers who aren’t actually necessarily living in a state? It’s much simpler to eat the cost of a national registry and avoid all sorts of logistical challenges of coordinating across 50 States’ and 5 territories IT systems and disparate standards on record keeping.

JumpCrisscross 2y ago
How is this dealt with in the EU?
- kergonath 2y ago
  Depends on the country, I think. Usually, if you move to another country, you have to register there so each country knows who is a foreigner. This is also tracked for taxes and social security, and for elections. For elections they need to keep track of each person’s status: EU citizens might be able to vote in local election in another EU country, but not national ones, so they have to record this type of information. These three things are different: you can live in a country, pay taxes in another, and vote in a third. I guess states are just good at keeping records.
- Leherenn 2y ago
  Not the EU, but in Switzerland, you need to be registered in the place you live primarily. If you move to a different town, you have two weeks to deregister at the old one and re-register at the new. To prove you live, you would do it the same way as in the US/UK if I understand correctly, with whatever evidence you have. Rental contract in your name, utility bill, property deed, ... If you live with your parents and don't have anything in your name, they need to write a signed attestation you live there. And so on. It's not uncommon for the police to knock on your door and check if you actually live where you claim to if they have a doubt.
  - troad 2y ago
    Also in the Czech Republic, and registering a new address requires the issuance of a new mandatory ID card, which is a paid 'service' (unsure how this meets any definition of 'service', but I digress). The last time I needed to do this in the CR, I had to get a notarised copy of my rental contract. They didn't care one jot about the accuracy of rental contract - I could have mocked one up in Word if I wanted to - they just cared that I had the copy notarised. Which required stamps and payment, naturally, because it's Europe. It's an absurd system. Why should you need to prove to the government you live anywhere? How much money is wasted sending policemen to knock on doors? And how does your absence at a given random moment prove anything at all about where you reside? Locals are generally surprised, in my experience, when I tell them that Australia has no system of registered permanent abode at all. If you have a driver's licence, and you move, you probably want to update your address with the motor bureau, which you generally do online with no documentation at all. No one verifies your new address or particularly cares about it, because the only thing it affects is where you get sent mail (it has no legal consequences like council tax, as it does in the CR, etc). Other than that it's your business what address you give where. No one will ever demand you prove your 'registered address of permanent abode' because no such thing exists. It fits into a broader pattern where everyone in Europe must have some kind of 'status' recorded. What's your registered place of permanent abode? What's your status with the mandatory state health insurance? For tax purposes, are you 'employed' or 'self-employed' or 'student' or 'retired'? Are you registered for self-employment with the social security bureau? There's generally no grey areas, and if you somehow fall outside the norm, they truly don't know what to do with you. You have not experienced Europe until you've had a civil servant glower at you because there's no drop down box for what you're telling them, and this is very much something they want you to know is your fault. Can't you just be normal?
    - Leherenn 2y ago
      In Switzerland it's mostly about taxes, the tax rates change based on the canton and town, often widely so. It's also about voting rights, but it's much less a concern. I think in countries where the majority of tax receipts come from income tax, they care a lot more about where you live than in countries like the US (and Australia apparently?) where they rely more in property taxes.

JumpCrisscross 2y ago

How is this dealt with in the EU?

kergonath 2y ago
Depends on the country, I think. Usually, if you move to another country, you have to register there so each country knows who is a foreigner. This is also tracked for taxes and social security, and for elections. For elections they need to keep track of each person’s status: EU citizens might be able to vote in local election in another EU country, but not national ones, so they have to record this type of information. These three things are different: you can live in a country, pay taxes in another, and vote in a third. I guess states are just good at keeping records.
Leherenn 2y ago
Not the EU, but in Switzerland, you need to be registered in the place you live primarily. If you move to a different town, you have two weeks to deregister at the old one and re-register at the new. To prove you live, you would do it the same way as in the US/UK if I understand correctly, with whatever evidence you have. Rental contract in your name, utility bill, property deed, ... If you live with your parents and don't have anything in your name, they need to write a signed attestation you live there. And so on. It's not uncommon for the police to knock on your door and check if you actually live where you claim to if they have a doubt.
- troad 2y ago
  Also in the Czech Republic, and registering a new address requires the issuance of a new mandatory ID card, which is a paid 'service' (unsure how this meets any definition of 'service', but I digress). The last time I needed to do this in the CR, I had to get a notarised copy of my rental contract. They didn't care one jot about the accuracy of rental contract - I could have mocked one up in Word if I wanted to - they just cared that I had the copy notarised. Which required stamps and payment, naturally, because it's Europe. It's an absurd system. Why should you need to prove to the government you live anywhere? How much money is wasted sending policemen to knock on doors? And how does your absence at a given random moment prove anything at all about where you reside? Locals are generally surprised, in my experience, when I tell them that Australia has no system of registered permanent abode at all. If you have a driver's licence, and you move, you probably want to update your address with the motor bureau, which you generally do online with no documentation at all. No one verifies your new address or particularly cares about it, because the only thing it affects is where you get sent mail (it has no legal consequences like council tax, as it does in the CR, etc). Other than that it's your business what address you give where. No one will ever demand you prove your 'registered address of permanent abode' because no such thing exists. It fits into a broader pattern where everyone in Europe must have some kind of 'status' recorded. What's your registered place of permanent abode? What's your status with the mandatory state health insurance? For tax purposes, are you 'employed' or 'self-employed' or 'student' or 'retired'? Are you registered for self-employment with the social security bureau? There's generally no grey areas, and if you somehow fall outside the norm, they truly don't know what to do with you. You have not experienced Europe until you've had a civil servant glower at you because there's no drop down box for what you're telling them, and this is very much something they want you to know is your fault. Can't you just be normal?
  - Leherenn 2y ago
    In Switzerland it's mostly about taxes, the tax rates change based on the canton and town, often widely so. It's also about voting rights, but it's much less a concern. I think in countries where the majority of tax receipts come from income tax, they care a lot more about where you live than in countries like the US (and Australia apparently?) where they rely more in property taxes.