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LeftishBrit

(41,396 posts)
16. No point IMO.
Sun Sep 30, 2012, 03:52 AM
Sep 2012

Parliamentary systems can work, but they require the right ingredients - e.g. an electoral system that allows for more than two parties, but is not based on absolute proportional representation.

In the UK, total lack of proportional representation, plus the lack of a real independent executive branch (Elizabeth is very well paid, but powerless!), means that Prime Ministers tend to become elected dictators on a minority of the vote, or if they're as idle as Cameron, their favourite Cabinet Ministers become the dictators. George Osborne, Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt, and Ian Duncan-Smith at the moment. Lovely.

In some other countries, near-absolute proportional representation distorts democracy as much as the rigid first-past-the-post system in the UK, and means that small far-right or single-issue parties can hold a government hostage. Do you really want Mitt Romney getting to be president with less than 22% of the popular vote, obliged to appoint Pat Buchanan as his Foreign Secretary, and to allow Pat Robertson control of whether the government survives the next month? The Israelis are dealing with the equivalent of that. Worse, do you really want the KKK to take advantage of the economic crisis to get direct representation in your legislature? Ask the Greeks about Golden Dawn!

Some parliamentary systems seem to work very well, but I don't think that a parliamentary system is a panacea. And I do think that it's a good thing that in America, the legislators are elected separately from the president - I think the UK might benefit from that!

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

And rewrite the entire constitution? Sekhmets Daughter Sep 2012 #1
I know , but it was just a thought, lol hrmjustin Sep 2012 #3
And yet tama Sep 2012 #6
I would not be opposed because.... Swede Atlanta Sep 2012 #2
Would u base the parliament seats based on pop. in states or country? would u use ... hrmjustin Sep 2012 #4
Would Myth be the presiding officer in DonViejo Sep 2012 #5
But a battle worth having. hrmjustin Sep 2012 #7
very true DonViejo Sep 2012 #9
yes hrmjustin Sep 2012 #10
Ideally, but that's not doable at the federal level. David__77 Sep 2012 #8
now that is an idea hrmjustin Sep 2012 #12
Anything is doable and tama Sep 2012 #14
Drafting new constitution is no biggie tama Sep 2012 #11
great hrmjustin Sep 2012 #13
As I Brit I can say with certainty intaglio Sep 2012 #15
No point IMO. LeftishBrit Sep 2012 #16
ok sure. It's a long way off though. limpyhobbler Sep 2012 #17
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