Eight simple steps to fix American democracy

[Soph0571]

.......For how long should Democrats tolerate this fundamentally undemocratic, and anti-democratic, state of affairs? In November, they could win back control of the House, and maybe even the Senate too, in an anti-Trump “blue wave”. Would that provide a long-overdue opportunity – perhaps bolstered by a Democrat in the White House come 2021 – to address this broken democratic system in the United States? To slowly restore faith in the nation’s elections and institutions?

If a backswing brings us a Democratic government with a mandate for reform, here are eight simple steps they could take to try and fix, reform and improve our “flawed” democracy.

1) Abolish the electoral college

2) Pass a new Voting Rights Act

3) Ban gerrymandering

4) End the filibuster

5) Get ‘dark money’ out of politics

6) Introduce term limits for the Supreme Court

7) Grant statehood to Washington DC and Puerto Rico

8) Lower the voting age to 16

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The temptation for Democrats post-November, and post-2020 if they win back the White House, will be to spend their political capital on big-ticket items that are popular with the base: universal healthcare, debt-free college, investment in infrastructure.

But democratic reform cannot be seen as a side or secondary issue. Expanding the number of citizens who can vote, and making sure all votes count, should appeal to Democrats both for principled and pragmatic reasons: in terms of principle, it is good for democracy that citizens can exercise their right to vote; in terms of pragmatism, it is good for the Democratic Party for poorer and more diverse voters to be able to exercise their democratic rights.

[link:https://www.newstatesman.com/world/north-america/2018/11/eight-simple-steps-fix-american-democracy|

This is a very interesting read - much much more at the link

[shanny]

1. Simple, yes. Not easy.

But I agree: the focus should be on fixing the broken system. Good public policy can follow.

I do think the Senate needs to be fixed as well. Not sure how. But the wildly disproportionate representation of the current design is a real problem.

[Amishman]

2. I don't agree with number 8, but love number 5

I've met very very few 16 year olds with a good grasp of the real world or sufficient understanding of our government.

Number 5 is huge. Ban all political advertisement other than mailing of flyers which state the positions of the candidate. All flyers must be fact checked by a bipartisan electoral review board. Campaigns must use public funding, no private money period. No campaigning or any kind other than by the campaign itself, bye bye PACs. Mandatory debate series of 3 or more debates. No show or refuse, you are DQed. State your positions, get out the vote, and debate your opponent. That is all it should be.

[Poiuyt]

3. I would like to add some form of instant runoff voting

That would allow third party candidates to run without disrupting the party they are closest to.