What fundamental changes would you make to the US government?
I'm not asking for laws, but congressional amendment type stuff.
Here's some of my ideas...
1. Instant run-off or ranked voting to break the two party duopoly.
2. # of state representatives determined by voter turnout, not population.
3. Automatic, built-in expiration date for any legislation - Result: no blue laws, all laws re-evaluated for effectiveness. Each renewal may last longer, I would have to do a historical survey of laws to work out the right durations. Maybe 5 yrs, then 7, then 10, then 15, etc...
4. Make it illegal for federal funds to be conditioned on anything other than their stated use. This would eliminate federal blackmail like tying highway funds to lowering blood alcohol limits.
5. Eliminate the income tax (possible exceptions for times of war), go to a national sales tax or, possibly, a money tax (requires some explaining).
Here's some of my ideas...
1. Instant run-off or ranked voting to break the two party duopoly.
2. # of state representatives determined by voter turnout, not population.
3. Automatic, built-in expiration date for any legislation - Result: no blue laws, all laws re-evaluated for effectiveness. Each renewal may last longer, I would have to do a historical survey of laws to work out the right durations. Maybe 5 yrs, then 7, then 10, then 15, etc...
4. Make it illegal for federal funds to be conditioned on anything other than their stated use. This would eliminate federal blackmail like tying highway funds to lowering blood alcohol limits.
5. Eliminate the income tax (possible exceptions for times of war), go to a national sales tax or, possibly, a money tax (requires some explaining).
Comments
Originally posted by Naderfan
Proportional Representation
yup
that doesn't answer the question but i don't care.
Originally posted by Naderfan
Proportional Representation
Ok, how would you implement that exactly? That is, what would the ammendment dicate?
Originally posted by Henrik
remove bush from office.
that doesn't answer the question but i don't care.
Worst answer ever. I do agree with Nader though. You communist
Originally posted by BR
NO RIDERS ON BILLS!
fucking riders piss me off too. people can't drink at 20 11/12ths (age), because the state fears getting cut off from funding from some completely unrelated bill. ridiculous.
A fundamental change I would make is codify into law the right to privacy. Extending from it: abortion, and personal drug use. Stuff I do to myself is my own business and not the governments'.
Originally posted by Nordstrodamus
I'm not asking for laws, but congressional amendment type stuff.
Here's some of my ideas...
1. Instant run-off or ranked voting to break the two party duopoly.
2. # of state representatives determined by voter turnout, not population.
3. Automatic, built-in expiration date for any legislation - Result: no blue laws, all laws re-evaluated for effectiveness. Each renewal may last longer, I would have to do a historical survey of laws to work out the right durations. Maybe 5 yrs, then 7, then 10, then 15, etc...
4. Make it illegal for federal funds to be conditioned on anything other than their stated use. This would eliminate federal blackmail like tying highway funds to lowering blood alcohol limits.
5. Eliminate the income tax (possible exceptions for times of war), go to a national sales tax or, possibly, a money tax (requires some explaining).
Here?s mine:
1)\tArrest all members of the executive, congressional, and judicial branch. All to be sent re-education camps to learn: ethics, logic, economics, and morality. Certain recalcitrant members (e.g. Byrd and Helms) will be summarily executed to set an example.
2)\tIn the meantime, establish a people?s assembly of like-minded, and enlightened citizens (well, at least me)to rule in the intirm. Establish a new constitution that limits government, and does not make a mockery of the law through continual judicial interventions.
3)\tReturn the remaining (surviving) members of the branches to work as clerks, janitors, messengers, etc. Let them intern under the people's representatives.
4)\tPut explosive collars about their necks and return them to government office with $100 cash, new suits, and stipends to live in government barricks.
5)\tInform them that the collars will be detonated if any of the following conditions are met: failure to pass a budget, deficit spending, pork barreling, log-rolling, lying, grandstanding, and general rudeness.
That ought to do it.
Originally posted by Naderfan
Proportional Representation
If it's Single Transferable Vote, then yes. If it's a straight up proportion by party, then no.
When campaigns (of either political persuasion) buy media exposure, democracy goes out of the window. Elections to public office should be publicly funded, and campaigns shouldnt last any longer than, say, 2 months.
It's all a farce.
of course, people can hardly get anything done now as is, imagine if they spent countless hours just rehashing old crap.
as for proportional representation, does it really help? you just end up with countless under the table deals between parties to get your majority of the week. in the end the voters is still being sold out by their "representative".
Originally posted by Naderfan
Proportional Representation
To illustrate: In the 1992 presidential election Ross Perot's Reform Party polled 19% of the votes cast, one in 5 of every vote, or close to half that of either the Republican or Democratic vote. How many seats did the Reform Party win in the Senate or Congress? A big fat ZERO.
Now thats a farce.
Originally posted by sammi jo
To illustrate: In the 1992 presidential election Ross Perot's Reform Party polled 19% of the votes cast, one in 5 of every vote, or close to half that of either the Republican or Democratic vote. How many seats did the Reform Party win in the Senate or Congress? A big fat ZERO.
Personally, I would like to see all institutional recognition of parties eliminated, but it's so entrenched it is difficult to propose a way to do it.
Originally posted by Nordstrodamus
Personally, I would like to see all institutional recognition of parties eliminated, but it's so entrenched it is difficult to propose a way to do it.
Plus we have that whole "freedom" thing going on here.
Originally posted by Scott
Plus we have that whole "freedom" thing going on here.
Yes, people are free to organize themselves into a party. That does not mean that the government therefore must recognize the party and structure itself based around the corrupt practices of said party.
Originally posted by sammi jo
To illustrate: In the 1992 presidential election Ross Perot's Reform Party polled 19% of the votes cast, one in 5 of every vote, or close to half that of either the Republican or Democratic vote. How many seats did the Reform Party win in the Senate or Congress? A big fat ZERO.
Now thats a farce.
The alternative is a parliamentary system where the people never get to directly elect their leader. Or a proportional representation system where one vote fills both branches without any further input from the voters. No thanks to both; I'll vote for the president I want, and vote for the Congressman I want, and vote for the Senator I want. But, ideally, with instant-runoff so I have more than two real choices for each office.