Democratizing the Senate
DEMOREP1 at aol.com
DEMOREP1 at aol.com
Mon Apr 22 15:22:24 PDT 2002
Alex wrote-
Draw a distinction between the people of the United States and the
institution of the State of California. Forfeit some amount of democracy
by letting each state legislature pick a single Senator, and in exchange
receive an arguably larger amount of democracy in return: A Senate in
which half of the members are chosen by PR.
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D- NO THANKS. The series of rotten-to-the-core compromises from 1787 hang on
and on. It took a horrific Civil War and 620,000 dead to get rid of some of
such compromises --- slavery (13th Amdt), the 3/5 person clause for Rep
seats (14th Amdt, Sec. 2) and the definition of elector (15th Amdt - negative
in form).
It is ABSOLUTELY INTOLERABLE (and ultra-dangerous) that the U.S.A. government
LAWS/ TREATIES over the PEOPLE of the U.S.A. are being made by an indirect
minority rule regime (controlled by gangs of special interests) -- the
floating gerrymanders for U.S.A. Reps, the semi-fixed gerrymander of the
U.S.A. Senate and their combined effects in the Electoral College gerrymander
for President/VP.
As to the Senate -- how about abolishing it just like slavery was abolished
(and sent to the political history junkyard) ???
Alternative- Abolish it and then revive it -- perhaps having 100/101 Senators
elected using proxy p.r. for 2 year terms in odd numbered years from circa 20
districts -- 1 or more States or part of 1 State (such as CA) -- ONLY due to
the passion/ panic problem which sometimes affects single house legislative
bodies --- taking note that Nebraska (and various foreign regimes) have
survived with single house legislative bodies.
The Vice-President (a vestige of the old king appointed Lt. Governors in the
pre-1776 colonies) can be made a Department Head to have him/her doing
something useful (while watching the health of the President).
It is only a matter of time before the more populous States cause a crisis
about the indirect minority rule U.S.A. Senate.
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