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An amendment eliminating the Electoral College would go a long way towards fixing the problems outlined in TFA. The Constitution is largely very good, but it un
by gcv 13y ago
An amendment eliminating the Electoral College would go a long way towards fixing the problems outlined in TFA. The Constitution is largely very good, but it unintentionally created a de-facto two party system. With the executive branch free from that sort of nonsense, it may be that the legislature will right itself.
- LammyL 13y agoStates are already half way there at eliminating the electoral college with the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- dragonwriter 13y ago> An amendment eliminating the Electoral College would go a long way towards fixing the problems outlined in TFA. No, it wouldn't. > The Constitution is largely very good, but it unintentionally created a de-facto two party system. With the executive branch free from that sort of nonsense, it may be that the legislature will right itself. Not really; the EC isn't the key feature of the electoral system that produces a two party system, and the features that are -- the fact that most elections, and particularly those for the Congress, are by plurality or majority-runoff methods -- is nowhere in the Constitution, but is the product of statute (and, largely, state statutes.)
- gcv 13y agoFair point. How about an additional amendment spelling out an alternative method for elections to the legislative branch? Do away with plurality and introduce enumerated preferences?
- dragonwriter 13y agoPersonally, I'd prefer no federal Constitutional amendments on the issue, and eliminating the federal statutory barriers to candidate-centered proportional representation, and then letting states try different approaches using preference voting, both in single and multimember districts, before imposing a specific uniform national approach as a Constitutional requirement. First, because its a lot easier to achieve politically, and second, because while I've got pretty clear ideas of both the legislative and executive approaches I think would be best, I don't think its a big enough change that there is plenty of reason to be cautious in imposing a uniform national mandatory rule.