http://journeymanphilosopher.today.com/2008/10/08/majority-governments-incompatible-with-democracy/ Slow down and think.... Sun, 27 Dec 2009 01:47:12 +0000 http://www.today.com/version-2.3.1 http://journeymanphilosopher.today.com/2008/10/08/majority-governments-incompatible-with-democracy/#comment-326 ravyn Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:53:51 +0000 http://journeymanphilosopher.today.com/2008/10/08/majority-governments-incompatible-with-democracy/#comment-326 The main problem with parties, in my opinion, is that a lot of important issues become subordinate to issues whose adherents scream louder. Whatever's top on the list or appears to be top in people's minds will get the most time, and other stuff, just as important but less advertised? What other stuff? There is other stuff? And don't get me started on what that means for people whose pet issue is only properly addressed by someone on the "other" side... The main problem with parties, in my opinion, is that a lot of important issues become subordinate to issues whose adherents scream louder. Whatever’s top on the list or appears to be top in people’s minds will get the most time, and other stuff, just as important but less advertised? What other stuff? There is other stuff? And don’t get me started on what that means for people whose pet issue is only properly addressed by someone on the “other” side…

]]> http://journeymanphilosopher.today.com/2008/10/08/majority-governments-incompatible-with-democracy/#comment-325 Deniz Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:33:11 +0000 http://journeymanphilosopher.today.com/2008/10/08/majority-governments-incompatible-with-democracy/#comment-325 This is one of my bigger problems with the current American system. I don't really have a problem with majority rule, but when "majority" means the "majority party" and not "majority of the people", it causes problems. Also with this win-lose mentality some voters will stick by their party just to be on the "winning side", and you get people who vote for their party regardless out of "loyalty" instead of because of the issues. The other problem with the American system (and possibly the Canadian one) is that the population is too large to effectively use majority rule, since even the "minority" is a massive amount of people. The country is too large and full of varying interests across geographic regions to effectively govern as a unified system. I don't want to fill this with a rant about how the system should be changed though =P. Anyway though, partisan politics is problematic in itself, because it seems to encourage the same type of "team voting", where all (or most) members of a party vote in the exact same manner. Why vote for individual representatives at all, if it's just going to be one side or the other? This is one of my bigger problems with the current American system. I don’t really have a problem with majority rule, but when “majority” means the “majority party” and not “majority of the people”, it causes problems. Also with this win-lose mentality some voters will stick by their party just to be on the “winning side”, and you get people who vote for their party regardless out of “loyalty” instead of because of the issues. The other problem with the American system (and possibly the Canadian one) is that the population is too large to effectively use majority rule, since even the “minority” is a massive amount of people. The country is too large and full of varying interests across geographic regions to effectively govern as a unified system. I don’t want to fill this with a rant about how the system should be changed though =P. Anyway though, partisan politics is problematic in itself, because it seems to encourage the same type of “team voting”, where all (or most) members of a party vote in the exact same manner. Why vote for individual representatives at all, if it’s just going to be one side or the other?

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