Are third parties a good thing?
Southern Industrial
11-09-2004, 04:47
If it was up to you to give thrid parties more power and destroy the two party system, would you?
I don't want to talk about some sort of 2000 election thing where Nader defeated Gore and blah blah blah; Just, as a theory, do you think the two party system is practical, representitive and effective?
Unfree People
11-09-2004, 04:48
Definitely, it makes American politics at its highest level something of a joke...
Eh, two more big parties would just rise up to fill the vacuum.
Long live the duopoly!
The 2 party system is a joke to the rest of the world. They laugh at us. I love third parties.
Free Soviets
11-09-2004, 05:08
Eh, two more big parties would just rise up to fill the vacuum.
only if you keep the "first past the post" electoral system that created the two party system in the first place.
Southern Industrial
11-09-2004, 05:13
only if you keep the "first past the post" electoral system that created the two party system in the first place.
That was the whole idea...
Enisumentela
11-09-2004, 05:17
Two parties is stupid, as is the "first past the post" system. Both are very alienating to the population, especially if 49% voted for one and 51% for the other.
Preportional representation is the best idea: and since we live in the age of e-mails and such, it's more practical as well.
For thoes who do not know about the party systems, I shall explain.
In "First past the post" you can have any number of parties, but the one with the most support (seats) after the election is the winner. If they hold less than the majority, they are a minority government, but still in charge.
However, preportional representation offers a more viable alternative. Say there are four parties, and one recieves 20%, one 41%, one 13% and one 26%. With preportional representation, 20% of the seats will go to party one, 41% to party two, etc. The seats arn't divided by region.
Southern Industrial
11-09-2004, 05:22
Two parties is stupid, as is the "first past the post" system. Both are very alienating to the population, especially if 49% voted for one and 51% for the other.
Preportional representation is the best idea: and since we live in the age of e-mails and such, it's more practical as well.
For thoes who do not know about the party systems, I shall explain.
In "First past the post" you can have any number of parties, but the one with the most support (seats) after the election is the winner. If they hold less than the majority, they are a minority government, but still in charge.
However, preportional representation offers a more viable alternative. Say there are four parties, and one recieves 20%, one 41%, one 13% and one 26%. With preportional representation, 20% of the seats will go to party one, 41% to party two, etc. The seats arn't divided by region.
I'd go even better, with systems that allow voters to indicate that they'd like to see either of a number of canidates in office. (There are many systems that try to accomplish this.) This way, voters are not forced to choose between an unlikely canidate that they like and a likely canidate they aren't so thrilled about.
Most definitly !! We need a Libertarian government.
LordaeronII
11-09-2004, 06:28
Well.... you have to look at it this way.
Right now, there is no law or any restraints (barring financial) to forming a third party.
Ever consider the reason there are only 2 major parties is because the general American public just happen to like those 2 more than any third party anyone has ever come up with?
If you can come up with a new third party that you think would appeal more to the American public than the GOP or the DP, go for it.
Canada has 4 major parties (well only 2 that ever have a chance of winning, one only exists in one province and the NDP always are able to make a showing, but never have a shot at winning), yet it uses the first-past-the-post system. I personally don't even like democracy, but if you're going to have a democracy, you should at least do it right, which IMO, means proportional representation. FPTP is stupid.
Endless Love
11-09-2004, 06:36
I really like third parties because they represent many different ideals that people wouldn't have considered before. Regardless, I like the idea of two part elections where people vote for whoever they want the first round, and then the second round is between the top two from the first one. This lets people show who they really like, and then choose between the top ones.
Heathengrad
11-09-2004, 07:02
Yes! Both of the major parties suck! America needs more and better options!