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I wish we could have runoff elections in the US. Then you could vote for the candidate you really want to win; if they lose, you can then vote for your safe fal

I wish we could have runoff elections in the US. Then you could vote for the candidate you really want to win; if they lose, you can then vote for your safe fallback choice. This would really open the playing field beyond D & R (so it'll never happen).

thaumasiotes 13y ago
There is no particular reason to believe that any alternate system would sustain more than two parties. Obviously it's possible, as it happens all around the world, but systems of more than two parties are inherently unstable. See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow%27s_impossibility_theorem http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow%27s_impossibility_theorem
- Buttons840 13y ago
  I agree the system would still balance around two systems, that's fine. Remember that political campaigns are about more than just winning. Look at the likes of Ron Paul, he gets an important message our and inspires people by running for office. In our current system, a third candidate can only help the opponent most opposite of him win, but with runoff elections a third candidate would help the candidate closest to him win. The difference with a runoff system is that multiple candidates from the same side of the political spectrum helps your cause instead of hurting it. Right now, if either party has multiple candidates running, it only punishes them.
- sp332 13y ago
  Instability is better than entrenched interests or revolving doors. Even term limits would help.
  - thaumasiotes 13y ago
    Let me clarify the instability I'm referring to. I don't mean that a system of more than two parties causes chaotic policies in the country (actually, I'd bet against that). I mean that a system of more than two parties has a natural tendency to transform into a two-party system.
    - comrade_ogilvy 13y ago
      I agree. The best examples of third parties are the modern British Liberal party, and the insurgent Republican Party of 1860. But we can see that there were/are very strong regional factors in play, and that it never found a stable or quasi-stable situation where there were an obviously better menu of candidate choices.

thaumasiotes 13y ago

There is no particular reason to believe that any alternate system would sustain more than two parties. Obviously it's possible, as it happens all around the world, but systems of more than two parties are inherently unstable. See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow%27s_impossibility_theorem http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow%27s_impossibility_theorem

Buttons840 13y ago
I agree the system would still balance around two systems, that's fine. Remember that political campaigns are about more than just winning. Look at the likes of Ron Paul, he gets an important message our and inspires people by running for office. In our current system, a third candidate can only help the opponent most opposite of him win, but with runoff elections a third candidate would help the candidate closest to him win. The difference with a runoff system is that multiple candidates from the same side of the political spectrum helps your cause instead of hurting it. Right now, if either party has multiple candidates running, it only punishes them.
sp332 13y ago
Instability is better than entrenched interests or revolving doors. Even term limits would help.
- thaumasiotes 13y ago
  Let me clarify the instability I'm referring to. I don't mean that a system of more than two parties causes chaotic policies in the country (actually, I'd bet against that). I mean that a system of more than two parties has a natural tendency to transform into a two-party system.
  - comrade_ogilvy 13y ago
    I agree. The best examples of third parties are the modern British Liberal party, and the insurgent Republican Party of 1860. But we can see that there were/are very strong regional factors in play, and that it never found a stable or quasi-stable situation where there were an obviously better menu of candidate choices.