The Political Minority Is Ruling America.The Path to Reform Is Clear

[CousinIT]

Last edited Tue Oct 20, 2020, 05:59 PM - Edit history (1)

https://www.newsweek.com/political-minority-ruling-america-path-reform-clear-opinion-1533527

. . .

Republicans, through minority rule, have broken our institutions, and Democrats must lead in fixing them.

First, we need to abolish the Electoral College. It is inherently undemocratic and has led to two out of the last three presidents taking office despite the majority of voters choosing someone else. A representative democracy should not overturn the will of voters.

Second, we need to end the disenfranchisement of voters in Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia and give them full representation in the House and Senate. The nearly 4 million Americans who live in these two places are U.S. citizens who pay taxes and are not represented by our government. Giving them equal representation and expanding the Senate will help make it more representational and less vulnerable to minority party rule.

Lastly, we must reform the Supreme Court. A court whose makeup was determined by the minority cannot and must not rule over the majority. Expanding the size of the court to include additional seats and bring back balance is necessary. McConnell and Republicans, from refusing to even hold a vote on Merrick Garland to attempting to pack the court before the election in the wake of Ginsburg's death, have so manipulated, distorted and broken the process and trust in the institution that serious reform, including expansion, is necessary for the court to remain credible.

[Upthevibe]

1. CousinIT

Yes..... Yes..... And.....Yes....

I don't know if you've ever watched some of Glenn Kirschner's videos. They're posted here on DU frequently. I really got a lot out of this one:

[ZZenith]

2. Is this your writing, or are you quoting someone?

TIA

[CousinIT]

7. Sorry. I forgot the link!

LINK:

https://www.newsweek.com/political-minority-ruling-america-path-reform-clear-opinion-1533527

[Midnight Writer]

3. Good points, but I would add getting money out of the political system.

I don't know how it could be done, but I believe our American oligarchs have to be neutered.

Trump was gauche enough to give the game away this week with his hypothetical phone call to the CEO of Exxon.

I believe that what he described is pretty close to the truth for many politicians.

[coti]

4. These are good, broad strokes but there's quite a bit more

We need to:

- Disempower the President (so one crazy person can't do this much damage again), including the below:

- Strengthen Congress' oversight abilities and subpoena power, put real teeth behind those laws

- Make it clear that a President CAN be indicted while in office and that he/she must follow the law, the same as the rest of America; there is NOTHING so special about that job to justify total legal immunity

- Require greater financial transparency, and possibly further qualifications, to become President; filling the job of the Presidency is not anyone's RIGHT- it is a privilege to serve the American people in such a position of such incredible responsibility

- As referenced above, somehow overrule Citizens United; money and political speech are NOT the same thing and should not be afforded the same protections


There's still much, much more....

[Loge23]

5. Term limits.

Nobody in this country should ever get a lifetime job in government - that includes Senators, Congress people, and especially judges - at all levels.
My proposal:
Move Congress to four year terms and cap it at four terms (20 years).
Senate caps at three terms (18 years).
Presidency remains at two terms.
Federal Judges, including SCOTUS, capped at 20 years.

[dware]

11. I like what you're saying

and everything you propose. except one, is very doable.

However, term limits for federal judges is a very hard hill to climb, it would require a Constitutional change, then 2/3rds of the Congress and 3/4ths of the States would have to ratify it, and I just don't see that happening any time soon.

[Amishman]

6. We are also a political minority

We have about 1/3rd Republican, 1/3rd Democratic, and 1/3rd independent / apolitical.

Assuming overwhelming support where it does not exist is a good way to get voted right back out of office - especially given the low support in particular for DC statehood and some of the proposed court structure changes.

Think slow, incremental changes. We probably won't even be able pass half of this even if we wanted to. Manchin, Gideon, and others are already signaling against changes to the SCOTUS

[standingtall]

14. How the rest of the country feels about making DC a State is irrelevant

If the citizens of DC want to be a State and it's constitutionally permissible if Democrats get control of the Government they should do it. The time for Democrats behaving like they got to get permission before they can do anything has past. Democrats need to go for it all now. They need to put pressure on the Manchin and others to vote to expand the court. Maybe some people wont like it if we expand the court, but I doubt Democrats will lose many votes, because of it, but even if they did if they expand the court while adding States it will pay off in the long run.

[CousinIT]

18. +1000 n/t

[Poiuyt]

8. Well, abolishing the Electoral College would be extremely difficult and would take years

The National Popular Vote compact would essentially neuter it to accomplish the same goals.

Great ideas and I'm glad they're being talked about.

[CousinIT]

9. Yea I think the National Popular Vote Compact has a much better chance. n/t

[marie999]

10. The National Popular Vote compact is probably illegal without Congressional approval.

The Constitution Article I Section 10 Clause 3 - no state, without the consent of Congress, shall enter into any agreement or compact with another state.

[Poiuyt]

12. If we win the trifecta, then Congressional approval would be a given

The hard part would be getting enough states to approve it before it would take effect.

[marie999]

15. Even if we win the Senate I don't think the Senate would pass it.

The Senate needs a 2/3 vote to amend the Constitution. Even though the compact is not amending the Constitution, it is affecting the EC and I don't think a Democratic majority in the Senate would do it.

[CousinIT]

17. The Ntl Popular Vote Compact is not an amendment to the Constitution. n/t

[dware]

20. You are correct.

I'll delete my post as false info.

[Poiuyt]

19. That's to amend the U.S. Constitution. The NPV would be approved by the state's legislatures

The US Constitution allows individual states to determine how the electors cast their votes. The political parties choose the electors, who then cast their ballots to the winner of the popular vote in that state. Usually, they give 100% of the state's electoral votes to the candidate who won that state. Maine and Nebraska, however, cast their votes proportional between the two candidates.

With the National Popular Vote compact, the states would pledge to give all their electoral votes to the candidate who won the popular vote nationwide. It would only go into effect when enacted by enough states to add up to at least 270 electoral votes.

[JI7]

13. How do you do that ?

The court is possible. But you need red states to get the others.