From here: American democracy is broken. We must demand 2020 candidates commit to a fix Excerpt: I'm not sure that the Gillibrand suggestion will obtain the desired effect. Because the desired effect is (or should be) that more Americans get off their duffs and VOTE! We have one of the worst voting records of any developed economy! (Don't believe that? See here.) The only way to get them off backsides sitting before a TV (where Americans watch TV more hours per week than any other country) is by passing a law saying that they must register to vote, then vote (with blanks, if that is the way they feel). But they must participate in the event, which is key to any Real Governance of the nation. (Instead of bitching in a blog!) By being obliged to vote, it is possible they will pay more attention to politics - apart from every two or four-years. Many are so put-off with voting that they stay intentionally home (and blog their anger at both parties) ... !
Wow! Fund their campaigns without having to work for it? It's the new welfare for the political class. I agree with that! By the way, you want to get people to vote? Get internet voting developed.
Wow! More one-liner nonsense. Ever made a comment here that constituted more than two sentences. Or are you hooked on the one-liner assinine sarcrasm so popular in the US, that passes for "debate". There, you've got a good idea. Except that would only increase the number of imbeciles who vote for a Donald Trump. Forty-six percent of the American population think he's doing a fine-job ...
Actually, I used to post very long posts. It was recommended to me to shorten them up. And, just post one or two topics per post. Do you want to know what I think about the gov't paying for political parties to run? I think it's a great idea! It would allow a lot more people to run for office. And then maybe we will get new faces, new ideas instead of watching the status quo go on forever. We might even get poor presidents, those who lack money and resources.
I don't know what to do about that imbeciles voting for Donald Trump. But voting from home would be a real convenience. It would be nice. I want it. Too bad we will probably have to wait until the Quantum Computer revolution makes internet actions secure.
Fix our representative republic? 1. Dont touch the electoral college. 2. Make sure the electors follow the will of the people in the state they are in. 3. Dont be afraid to vote 3rd party.
I wont support mandatory voting. Govt has too much power already. But something does need to be done. Increasing the time that polls are open, weekend voting, incentivizing entertainment events near polls, secure internet voting, vote by mail, vouchers- all things that should be considered.
Voting should be one day only, in person, on the 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November only, with a valid ID. With exceptions for absentee ballots for servicemen and diplomats and overseas citizens.
The length of a post does not really matter as long as it has significant content! In an Economics Forum, such as this one, it means having content based upon Factual Evidence. That is the hard part, which is why there is sooooo much off-the-cuff personalized BS in this one! Me too. But that is not the only point of restoration for America's Democracy. We must rid ourselves of Gerrymandering the electoral vote at the state levels and remodel the 12th Amendment to have the popular-vote quite simply reported through to Congress. Where, one must suppose, they know how to count the vote and declare the winner of the election for PotUS ... ! That could mean that FINALLY America's downtrodden at the lower end of the Income-Distribution Spectrum get a more fair hearing in both state and Federal governments ... !
Yeah, the authoritarian side is showing strongly this time and of course, it is progressives. There is a reason this country has a low voter participation. People vote if they are angry or fearful and that is the reason the parties use scare tactics to try an encourage voters but what it really means is that most voters are not angry or fearful and happy with the current paradigm. No one will pay more attention if they don't want to vote. That is a pipe dream. Democrats want to force voters to vote because they think it will help them but then there is a lot of things progressives want to force people to do as they are not that fond of freedom.
Only in American political forums because those participating are bereft of any really cogent contribution ...
I agree that it would help. But voting on a Sunday and a Monday would also have palpable effects upon voting outcomes. Not to mention the critical need to do away with both Gerrymandering and the manipulation of the popular-vote by some state Electoral Colleges ...
I suggest you look up the definition of "authoritarian" before employing it in a Debate Forum. We are not dunces! Not all of us! The angry and fearful part apply only to dunces. A proper education and a serious course in Civics is called-for in America. We are not sufficiently educating our children as to how the government is run and particularly the mistakes made of manipulation of the popular-vote. My answer to the above is that the American people don't really give-a-damn about fundamental economic and political questions that this forum has helped to bring to our attention! Ignorance is bliss when you don't know the facts. And as regards elections, it allows candidates to manipulate popular-opinion with all the hoopla on TV. (Note that we Yanks spend the most time weekly of any nation on earth looking at the BoobTube ...)
Well the American people are smart enough to reject a candidate who intentionally kept classified information on unsecured computers. Horrible qualities in a commander in chief.
Why? In my opinion, any measure that assures that more people can participate is ok with me. This is a decision all of us have to live with for four years. I recommend that voting should be open for days, maybe a national holiday on Friday and polls open until Sunday at 8:00 pm. No lines, nobody turned away and every citizen has a chance to vote.
Interesting idea. In any event, I like your idea better than the current setup. Where Draconian GOP Voter Suppression efforts try to limit the amount of voters. B/c the GOP knows that if everyone votes, that they will lose decisively. So, the GOP does everything that they can to illegally reduce the turnout.
I'm concerned campaign finance laws could end up being selectively enforced by the current Party in power. That is, one side will have to play by the rules, while the other will be given a free pass. Also there's a big danger of campaign finance laws infringing on the First Amendment. It's going to be a very slippery slope if you start making it illegal to pay for political views to be published. There is a fundamental problem with the principle of the thing. Parties are likely going to have loopholes and workarounds to get around these campaign finance laws, getting someone else to pay for things. I don't see how you could easily stop it without infringing on freedom of the press.
Refusing to vote can also be an exercise of your right to vote. Take it from someone where it is literally illegal to not vote. Cherish your right to vote, including your right not to vote.