Post by lordroel on Apr 14, 2017 11:10:21 GMT
What If: The United States Had a Multiparty Democracy?
What if America had a multiparty democracy like most countries in Europe?
Lets think of a United States that has eight parties:
- Democratic Party: Hillary Clinton
- Green Party: Jill Stein
- Libertarian Party: Gary Johnson
- Republican Party: John Kasich
- Revivalist Party: Ted Cruz
- Social Democrat Party: Bernie Sanders
- Tea Party: Rand Paul
- Trump Party: Donald Trump
The two left-wing parties would have a majority. Clinton, placing first, would head the government. Sanders, as leader of the second-largest party, would get an important cabinet post: say, minister of the economy.
Coalitions
If factions were formalized and represented in Congress as parties, “coalition negotiations would probably become easier than they are today.”
Such an arrangement allows voters to understand more clearly who speaks for their particular worldview and the deals between formal parties are seen not as backroom arrangements but as products of open negotiation and legitimate compromise.
Coalition politics can be messy too. It often does involve backroom deals and compromises that satisfy no one.
But the alternative is worse.
Left out
In the United States, there is such stark polarization that party affiliation has become part of many people’s identity.
As for the rest, the two-party system forces them to decide every four years which is the lesser of two evils. There is no party for Americans who are economically as well as socially liberal (“libertarian”). Nor is there a nativist or nationalist party for Trump’s fans. They are largely excluded from the political process despite making up a big chunk of the electorate.
Reform, of course, is unlikely. It would require a rewrite of the Constitution, which is virtually impossible under any circumstance, let alone when neither of the two major parties has an interest in changing the system.
What if America had a multiparty democracy like most countries in Europe?
Lets think of a United States that has eight parties:
- Democratic Party: Hillary Clinton
- Green Party: Jill Stein
- Libertarian Party: Gary Johnson
- Republican Party: John Kasich
- Revivalist Party: Ted Cruz
- Social Democrat Party: Bernie Sanders
- Tea Party: Rand Paul
- Trump Party: Donald Trump
The two left-wing parties would have a majority. Clinton, placing first, would head the government. Sanders, as leader of the second-largest party, would get an important cabinet post: say, minister of the economy.
Coalitions
If factions were formalized and represented in Congress as parties, “coalition negotiations would probably become easier than they are today.”
Such an arrangement allows voters to understand more clearly who speaks for their particular worldview and the deals between formal parties are seen not as backroom arrangements but as products of open negotiation and legitimate compromise.
Coalition politics can be messy too. It often does involve backroom deals and compromises that satisfy no one.
But the alternative is worse.
Left out
In the United States, there is such stark polarization that party affiliation has become part of many people’s identity.
As for the rest, the two-party system forces them to decide every four years which is the lesser of two evils. There is no party for Americans who are economically as well as socially liberal (“libertarian”). Nor is there a nativist or nationalist party for Trump’s fans. They are largely excluded from the political process despite making up a big chunk of the electorate.
Reform, of course, is unlikely. It would require a rewrite of the Constitution, which is virtually impossible under any circumstance, let alone when neither of the two major parties has an interest in changing the system.
