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seveneyes

(4,631 posts)

21. No

Reply to CreekDog (Original post)

Mon Feb 24, 2014, 05:33 PM

Feb 2014

Otherwise, the major metro areas would rule the rural voters.

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Does a nonproportional Senate and non-proportional, non-democratic Electoral College harm democracy? [View all] CreekDog Feb 2014 OP

Rhetorical question in your headline, yes? At the moment, it's destroying us... villager Feb 2014 #1

^^^^This^^^^ n/t 2banon Feb 2014 #9

Combine that with a non-proportional House through Gerrymandering and a non-proportional Judiciary BlueStreak Feb 2014 #2

^^^^^THIS TOO^^^^ (except the founders had the Senate seats by appointment) 2banon Feb 2014 #11

The Repubs would control the Senate today if it was proportional due to the 2010 debacle. LonePirate Feb 2014 #3

if California had 12 Senators or 12% of the Senate it would be majority Republican? CreekDog Feb 2014 #7

Your original hypothetical implied a non-proportional Senate was not desirable. LonePirate Feb 2014 #12

yes: statewide elections for 12 different senators, 6 year terms which are staggered... CreekDog Feb 2014 #19

You seem to think that CA would elect all D Senators while the red states would not elect more Rs LonePirate Feb 2014 #24

Most of the R states are small, they wouldn't get more senators. (nt) jeff47 Feb 2014 #26

Republicans haven't won a statewide election since 2006 CreekDog Feb 2014 #30

Repubs have a better chance of electing one of these new CA senators than Dems do in TX LonePirate Feb 2014 #38

so i'm supposed to oppose a proportional or representative structure for the Senate because of... CreekDog Feb 2014 #40

I don't care if you support or oppose it. LonePirate Feb 2014 #42

i'm sure you would have said the same about the pointlessness of debating slavery CreekDog Feb 2014 #43

In what way is your fringe, very minority opinion on settled governance any way similar to the ... LonePirate Feb 2014 #50

would you like me to shut up about proportional representation in the Senate? CreekDog Feb 2014 #53

Yes it does, if I were Holder I'd error on the side of preserving democracy vs letting GOP hamstring uponit7771 Feb 2014 #4

The function of the Senate is anti-democratic by design. Xithras Feb 2014 #5

and also by design: slavery, 3/5ths compromise, not letting women and blacks vote CreekDog Feb 2014 #6

The notion that the U.S. was designed to be "free and democratic" isn't supported by history. Xithras Feb 2014 #10

most parliamentary systems in democratic nations aren't based on states running elections CreekDog Feb 2014 #22

Indeed. Xithras Feb 2014 #28

You've made some very informative an interesting posts here. theHandpuppet Feb 2014 #63

You basically had two different camps during the writing of the constitution davidn3600 Feb 2014 #23

i can see the sense in this post, never understood why it was so, thanks loli phabay Feb 2014 #8

It was intended to be a slightly more democratic equivalent to the British House of Lords. Xithras Feb 2014 #15

yeah it makes sense, having checks and balances is overall a good thing even if not always loli phabay Feb 2014 #16

actually democracy isn't your concern based previous posts CreekDog Feb 2014 #20

yet you seem to believe that some americans ie rural folks dont count. see how that works loli phabay Feb 2014 #35

no, I think each voter should count equally, 1 urban voter = 1 rural voter CreekDog Feb 2014 #36

you seem to be reading something that is not there, no surprise loli phabay Feb 2014 #37

so is our federal public transit funding policy controlled by large cities? CreekDog Feb 2014 #39

no idea, mayby the areas with mass transit should control the funds for it loli phabay Feb 2014 #41

I would say public transportation in cities gets more money than rural areas seveneyes Feb 2014 #56

so you're saying that rural roads are less funded that public transit in this country? CreekDog Feb 2014 #60

Didn't mention roads at all seveneyes Feb 2014 #66

+1 One_Life_To_Give Feb 2014 #13

Hell, Senators weren't even elected when the omnicient "founding fathers" put this mess together BlueStreak Feb 2014 #18

They would be awed by the military Skink Feb 2014 #58

This ^^^^. It was designed that way for a reason .... oldhippie Feb 2014 #27

Excellent civics reminder. ManiacJoe Feb 2014 #32

They were both instituted as bulwarks to prevent democracy. Egalitarian Thug Feb 2014 #14

That was the whole point. kenny blankenship Feb 2014 #17

No seveneyes Feb 2014 #21

The US system is a mess. Westminster systems do it much better. NuclearDem Feb 2014 #25

I wonder how the Westminster system would work ruling 300+ million people seveneyes Feb 2014 #29

Alaska now has only one representative Blue_In_AK Feb 2014 #31

Ask India, their Parliament is a modified version of the Westminster system (n/t) Spider Jerusalem Feb 2014 #47

Not sure if the problems with India are the fault of their government seveneyes Feb 2014 #49

Their problems are a result of a history of poverty and colonial exploitation... Spider Jerusalem Feb 2014 #51

The original Westminster still has an unelected House of Lords CJCRANE Feb 2014 #34

The House of Lords acts as a revising body more than anything Spider Jerusalem Feb 2014 #46

The rest of the world has essentially neutered their upper houses Hippo_Tron Feb 2014 #59

I think it skews the Federal government disproportionately in favor of rural conservatives, yes. Warren DeMontague Feb 2014 #33

Hmm. Puerto Rico has the 29th largest population no voting member in the house HereSince1628 Feb 2014 #44

I was speaking more specifically about the Senate. Warren DeMontague Feb 2014 #52

Yes, I understand. If you look at it the nat. avg. iss rougly 720K citizens per elector HereSince1628 Feb 2014 #54

Yeah, I hear that, too. Only thing is IMHO the E. College has less real-world impact Warren DeMontague Feb 2014 #57

I suppose folks notice what irritates them... HereSince1628 Feb 2014 #64

I definitely think it leads to certain states, i.e. "swing"- having disproportionate influence Warren DeMontague Feb 2014 #65

That's kind of the point Spider Jerusalem Feb 2014 #45

i think the senate and the house Niceguy1 Feb 2014 #48

There are a variety of types of "democracy." Igel Feb 2014 #55

I support the National Popular Vote plan Gothmog Feb 2014 #61

I would support the following reforms: Nye Bevan Feb 2014 #62

The Senate is about state equality as intended madville Feb 2014 #67

not at all GRACIEBIRD Feb 2014 #68