| BraveNewWorld said: I've been researching the government of the UK and the Parliament -- talk about a clusterfuck. Americans, including myself, have bitched about our system but it's leagues above what could have been. The House of Lords, basically the equivalent of the Senate, has 793 seats! Why is it so big?! In the US Senate each state has 2 representatives, so currrently 50 states, totalling 100 seats. In the House of Commons, basically the equivalent to the House of Representatives, there are 650 seats! In the House there are 435 seats, which are divvied up by population of each state (every state has to have at least one, even if they're tiny) so California, by far the largest state, hold 53 seats. This assures that large states don't carry too much weight, and that small states aren't disregarded. Honestly, it'd probably be wise for the UK to adopt the system the US uses -- it'd alleviate concerns of non-English citizens in the UK that England carries too much weight (one of the reasons Scotland wante to secede) -- but it also doesn't penalize England for having a large population. This has made me realize that our political system isn't at fault, it's the politicians and the citizens who vote for them. |
I believe the House and Senate are no longer a valid form of governing such a large population, that's constantly connected/online. The only benefit is that it's easier for big business to bribe/influence 535 people. The House and Senate should be dissolved, this particular House/Senates lifetime benefits should be revoked. The US Gov't should then setup a voting system where the populace is responsible (that whole pesky participitory Democracy thing) to read literature on proposed legislations/amendments, and then have monthly votes (more or less, if necessary), tied to their SSN#. If you're too busy to read up on it, tough shit.
We'd still elect a President and VP, for foreign affairs. Replace Congress/House with think tanks responsible for keeping their thumb on the pulse of the public (which is where the proposed legislation/amendments come from).
Seems extreme, sure, but it should be a no brainer that 535 people cannot speak for ~311 million, nor has Congress of the past 4 or 5 terms shown in any way that they're trustworthy.
