Proportional representation - a way forward for greens and others?

[Polemonium]

Proportional representation is something I've been batting around in my head. We need some form of representation at the national level for the millions of us who feel that their views are rarely if ever represented inside the beltway. Greens, libertarians, socialists etc. So imagine making some seats in the House of Representatives that are tied to party and not to state. Each party would have nominated candidates and the party would require say 20 million votes to get a seat. A party could get a maximum of two or three seats in this way, and no party with more than 10 seats from the states would be eligible to run a candidate. House rules may have to be adjusted slightly for these fringe candidates in order to limit further gridlock. In all likelihood they wouldn't accomplish a great deal, but they would have to be approached and dealt with on close votes, and millions of us would feel less like we have taxation without representation. I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts, as I'm admittedly politically naive.

1. check this site

http://www.fairvote.org/whatsnew.htm

[tigereye]

2. I've always thought that many parties being represented in govt'

as in many European countries, would be wonderful. I think there should be more options and a broader range of representation.

[Polemonium]

4. Thanks

I'm in the middle of Raskin's Excerpts. May have to pick up the book.

[Virgil]

3. I could not agree more

America is too big to be represented by only two parties. America is now a plutocracy and that party completely controls the Republican Party with plenty of representation in a weakened Democrat Party. The absolute best one thing that could happen in America is to go to proportional representation and end the Largest Minority Rule where only a plurality is needed to win office instead of a majority.

The system is designed where the powerful can control it with the police being agents of the government instead of protectors of the people. In these times we need protection from the government amd its police state. The fact that the Republican Party can secret the works of the American government because the government says so cannot be broken under this two party system because one party in power can do almost anything.

[Polemonium]

5. Exactly

but how do we get it. I think my idea above would require a constitusional amendment, and I don't see states or the two main parties giving up the strategic advantage of single user voting districts in order to get proportional representation at the state level.

[dolstein]

6. Proporational representation has worked well in Israel -- NOT

The last thing I want to do is give fringe parties -- be they the Green Party or the Christian Coalition -- the balance of power in a national parliament.

[Polemonium]

7. It has worked well in other countries though

Australia has something close to proportional representation, and most countries with a parliament have more people represented than our current system. Mexico and Canada are both moving in this direction, and I believe it is a win for democracy. I don't want to dismantle our current system of government I am just looking for some way to be represented, and there are millions of Americans who don't feel represented in our current system. Israel is not a fair example of why proportional representation wouldn't work well; almost nothing will work well in Israel. I just want a voice in my government. Didn't we fight a war once to ensure we all had a voice?

[ISUGRADIA]

8. Not good in Israel where

parties need to get 1% (maybe 2%) for seats. Good in Germany where the threshhold is 5%.

Never will happen in the US though, at least in the next few decades.

[Hippo_Tron]

9. Two party system works fine for me...

Representatives and Senators are supposed to serve their constituents and not just their parties. If they don't do such many of them will not get re-elected. I do however, think that we need reform in the redistricting process because there should be more than 30-40 out of 435 competative seats in the house.

[Polemonium]

10. Sure it does your in the majority

A threshold of 20 million Americans is pretty high, and to deny a group of that size access to government is not democratic. My idea does not threaten the two party system it simply gives voice to millions af people who have no voice. Two or three greens in the House of Representatives does not shake things up that much, but it allows us to sleep nights knowing our views are represented. The two green senators in Australia have not threatened labor or the liberals but they have given voice. The only way millions of Americans would be able to get a voice in the current system would be to all move to one district. It is rediculous.

[durutti]

11. We don't have a two-party system.

We have two competing factions of one business party. The range of debate in the United States is much narrower than in any comparable country.