Politics

[beetiger]

shardangeli asks:
What is your view on politics? Are you affiliated with any party? Do you think the current system works well or do you think it needs changes?

I assume you mean the American system, even though you are up in Canuckistan yourself. I tend to be a pretty apolitical person, although I'm something of an activist now and again. I tend to fight for the things I believe in, and assume that whatever administation is in place needs to listen. I give a lot of money to the ACLU and environmental groups and huner relief and the like, but I don't ever send money to campaigns.

I'm registered Democratic, since last time I checked you had to be registered with a party in New York State to vote in its primary. I tend to vote more for the electable Democratic candidate in national elections, though I'll vote Libertarian or Green in local elections frequently.

As far as how the system works, I'm really not a big fan of the electoral college. It was a good idea back in the early days of the nation, when people felt a lot more affiliated with their states than with the nation as a whole, and when state "representatives" were more like citizens than like career politicians. Now, I'd really like to see the popular vote reinstated.

In the crazier idea end of things, I'd like individuals to have either a positive vote for a candidate, or a negative vote against one. No candidate with a negative total could take office, even if their total was the highest.

But overall, I'm really extremely politically naive.

Comments

Vote reform

[krdbuni.livejournal.com]

I have to say it's good to hear someone else opposed to the electoral college. I know a number of people who support the concept, but trying to get something like that fixed... ugh. It would probably take another amendment to do it. I think that's constitution-level policy.

Instead of the positive-negative idea, I've always personally been a big fan of approval voting. I used to think proportional representation was a good idea, until I realized just how messy it can get.

There's a lot I'd love to see changed about the way the country picks its leaders. These are but two. =n.n=

Kristy