I watched a talk from a book launch recently that laid out a plan to almost totally overhaul U.S. democracy. Some parts echo reform ideas that come up here; others are… big swings.
Major points are to abolish the Senate, expand the House to 695 members elected using proportional RCV in multi member districts, eliminate the Electoral College (obvi), allowing impeach/removal of the president via 60% House vote, expand SCOTUS to 21 justices with 21-year terms, so 1 appt/year per president.
Obviously big, big ideas, most of which is almost certainly impossible without a constitutional convention, but…maybe that’s what we need?
Anyway, curious for folks’ thoughts. The video is here if you want to watch: https://youtu.be/cFca2mYb1wc?feature=shared
Posted by Smart-Emu5884
6 Comments
yeah I’d also like a space elevator and TES 6. while we’re asking for things
That all sounds reasonable but there’s no way in hell 38 states will agree to it
To engage on one point in particular, I don’t think it makes sense to have only one legislative house for a federal country. While I think the Senate should get the boot, I think replacing it with something similar to the Bundesrat might make sense. Have the state governments directly represent themselves.
the belief is too entrenched that the unfairness and inequality of the system is a consequence of intelligent anti-mobocratic design. Americans treat their constitution like the Q’ran, the divine revelation in whole not to be fundamentally altered. We’re just so used to these ridiculous battles and quirks over gerrymandering and 300 seats that we don’t know how to imagine or want another way of doing things.
meanwhile the proportion cap was literally an act of laziness. they got tired of renovating the assembly hall to hold all the representatives.
Good plan. It’ll never be actualized through available means. Only route of reforming the nation into an actual democracy, that which I can realistically envision, is national dissolution followed by separate internal reformation to then reunify reconstructed. For the requisite mandate to reform the country into the true democracy you outline, you’d need not only a 2nd Great Depression that disempowers/repudiates the current reactionary/corporate forces opposed to this, but a coherent and solidified opposition that would push for this. The first is on the horizon, but the second will never come.
I hope JB is the nominee bc he wouldnt be afraid to push through changes to the system. Even then im hoping for PR and DC statehood , the wyoming rule for the house, scotus reforms (courtpacking) and a federal ban on gerrymandering.