Poll of the Day > If you could "fix" one major issue in US politics, what would it be?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Tried to cover the major hot topics

Fix is in quotations because I'm letting you guys decide what exactly that means. Doesn't need to be realistic or reasonably achievable in a short time frame. Sorry if I forgot anything.

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If you fix the electoral system, it makes it 10 times easier to fix all the other systems.

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hmnut7 posted...

If you fix the electoral system, it makes it 10 times easier to fix all the other systems.

Cause New York and California would dictate everything in the country.

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The legal system. All problems must be solved, but it has to begin there. There's so much to fix, and so much to gain by fixing it.

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Electoral system without a doubt

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Healthcare. If everyone lives longer healthier lives without being thrust into debt, you remove the motivation behind a lot of other problems and you have longer personally to try to fix other issues. The electoral system is also kinda vague. Are we fixing the system only or are we finding a way to pull good leaders out of thin air and put them in power? Are we fixing the issue of just generally shit candidates on all parts of both sides? If it's only the system itself, I don't think it makes much difference.

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Wealth inequality

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legalise drugs & murder



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End corruption

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Everything about our criminal justice system is corrupt and needs to be fixed

The cops, the lawyers, the judges, the for profit prisons....all corrupt to the core

Does "electoral system" include moving away from two-party football politics so people can vote based on actual positions and not their favourite team?

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adjl posted...

Does "electoral system" include moving away from two-party football politics so people can vote based on actual positions and not their favourite team?

That would be my vote, can't even begin to have a discussion on an issue when it all boils down to everybody who believes in position A automatically has to believe in positions B - Z else their voice on position A will never be heard.

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JOExHIGASHI posted...

End corruption

This is the only valid answer. Without the corruption you remove the influence of special interest groups. Law makers would be working to actually help the people instead of lining their pockets and racking up positives in the favor column. These major issues could actually be resolved without the corruption.


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two-party politics is my #1 vote, yeah

making it impossible to have a third party stand a realistic chance while the main two parties anoint their heir is the worst facet of american society because it allows so much other bullshit to go on and stifles progressive change

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Either education or criminal justice reform. A lot of problems stem from our public education system and changes would certainly help reduce the number of people relying on the state for handouts, among other issues. However, criminal justice also needs an overall considering the absurd sentences being handed out and the lack of reformative systems.

hmnut7 posted...

If you fix the electoral system, it makes it 10 times easier to fix all the other systems.

https://i.imgur.com/V0l2ZSW.gif

YoukaiSlayer posted...

Healthcare. If everyone lives longer healthier lives without being thrust into debt, you remove the motivation behind a lot of other problems and you have longer personally to try to fix other issues.

...most of society's problems have nothing to do with healthcare.

Bugmeat posted... This is the only valid answer. Without the corruption you remove the influence of special interest groups. Law makers would be working to actually help the people instead of lining their pockets and racking up positives in the favor column. These major issues could actually be resolved without the corruption.

Except you really don't. Special interest groups will always have influence and most so-called "corruption" people whine about doesn't involve money going into a politician's pockets. Not to mention that a lot of actual corruption doesn't involve actual money going to a politician either, considering you also have things like news networks hiring the children of politicians to buy special access to or influence their parents (such as Chelsea Clinton earning $600k as a "special consultant" for NBC)

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"other"

...seen "Children of Men"?

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Zeus posted...

Not to mention that a lot of actual corruption doesn't involve actual money going to a politician either, considering you also have things like news networks hiring the children of politicians to buy special access to or influence their parents (such as Chelsea Clinton earning $600k as a "special consultant" for NBC)

That would fall under favors, which I did mention. But it's also money and most certainly corruption. So explain how that in anyway refutes what I said in the first place? It's corruption. You even called it corruption in your post. So... I don't really see what point you thought you were going to make there.


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Electoral system based on total number of votes instead of our current one, would basically fix everything eventually, including helping with wealth inequality (although it would take a very long time).

As far as CA and NY controlling everything, no, the MAJORITY of US citizens would control everything, like it should be. IF the majority of citizens are in CA and NY AND they believe things should be a certain way, then it should be that way (unless it's insane etc).

That is how a democracy should work.

Not just changing total number of votes though, also of course ditching the 2 party system and the rich/coprs determining WHO actually runs in the first place. I'd probably set up a system where you start voting in smaller areas, then statewide, then the entire nation whittles down the 50 candidates from all the states into just 5 or so, and everyone votes finally for those 5 to become president. It would require a few more votes than we currently have (4 instead of 2), but it would give lots of options and ensure the final result is something the majority of people in this country actually want.

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Other. Environmental sustainability. Whether we like it or not, this is the biggest threat we face and we are absolutely not equipped to address it... and it needs addressing now.

That said, election reform is a close second. We desperately need to get rid of the electoral college, implement optional ranked choice voting, have public funding of elections and equal time for candidates, etc.

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Gaawa_chan posted...

Other. Environmental sustainability. Whether we like it or not, this is the biggest threat we face and we are absolutely not equipped to address it... and it needs addressing now.

Oh wow that was an absolutely huge oversight on my part, my bad. It's crazy to think that slipped my mind with everything that's going on right now.

I also should have been broader with my "corporate taxes" category, I basically just meant money in politics.

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Other: Make Pokemon real

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Gun control. Guns seem to be casing the most harm and even worsen some of the other problems.

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other: stop meddling into other countries and clean your own back yard first

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Get rid of First Past the Post voting for a system with ranked choice or even just "pick as many as you want, highest vote total wins". Without having to choose (only) the lesser evil, suddenly you can cast a vote for 3rd parties w/o throwing your vote away.
That's the root problem that's lead to two party politics (though the ridiculously corrupt corporate campaign funding and consolidation of major media under a small group of wealthy people also are major causes), striking it down helps everything else improve.

But yeah, out of that list easily the electoral system. Even if 3rd parties were viable, electors could just ignore the will of the voters anyway, plus it's outrageous how much more valuable the votes of one state are vs. another (and the fact that only like 12 "battleground" states actually matter at all)

From a Canadian perspective without having to create a new topic, in order of importance:

Policing/Justice system (Inc. legislation)
Voting/Election system (Ontario should not have nearly 1/3 of Canadas seats/money in politics)
Environmental sustainability (directly impacted by population)
Immigration
Gun control (reducing)
Corporate taxes
Healthcare
Other

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The good thing with the electoral college is that it gives a little more power to the tinier states, so that the US isn't just the dictation of NY and California.

HOWEVER, there's a problem... the EC uses a first past the post system where once a party "wins" then ALL of the college must vote for the winner, which takes AWAY the power from mixed voting blocks.

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Lokarin posted...

The good thing with the electoral college is that it gives a little more power to the tinier states, so that the US isn't just the dictation of NY and California.

That's bull shit, though.

Yeah, Wyoming and Alaska would probably get almost entirely ignored. But if you think the votes of Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida, Georgia, etc... wouldn't be considered worth attempting to get, you're out of your mind.
There'd be way more states that actually matter to presidential candidates than the current setup.

streamofthesky posted...

There'd be way more states that actually matter to presidential candidates than the current setup.

As I said, the problem is the First Past the Post system, once you have the lead you steal the entire college for that state

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Was leaning towards gun control, as that would have massive beneficial knock-on effects, but I ultimately went for electoral reform.

Fix how politicians are elected and a lot of the other problems become a lot easier to address.

Lokarin posted...

The good thing with the electoral college is that it gives a little more power to the tinier states, so that the US isn't just the dictation of NY and California.

Yes, wouldn't want a tiny number of states (dunno why NY always gets lumped into this bucket, considering states like Texas have more EC rep than they do) dictating the direction of the country because of the large number of people within them.

The current system, where a tiny number of states dictate the direction of the country because they are swing states, is clearly superior.

zebatov posted...

Voting/Election system (Ontario should not have nearly 1/3 of Canadas seats/money in politics)

Why not? They have over 1/3 of our population.

The only way you could reduce their influence is by basically changing Canada's electoral system to be far less representative and democratic.

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darkknight109 posted...

The current system, where a tiny number of states dictate the direction of the country because they are swing states, is clearly superior.

Did no one read part 2 of my post?

Under the current system, if a state has, say, 10 college seats and the vote is 51% Rep and 49% Dem, then all 10 seats go to Rep instead of the more fair 5 seats each, or even 6/4 at worst.

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Lokarin posted...

Under the current system, if a state has, say, 10 college seats and the vote is 51% Rep and 49% Dem, then all 10 seats go to Rep instead of the more fair 5 seats each, or even 6/4 at worst.

That's not anything inherent to the EC, that's just how the states choose to do it.

States can apportion their EC votes however they want. "Winner-take-all" is by far the most common, but some states do dole them out proportionally.

I'm in support of that. I'm even more in support of ditching the entire EC model, given that it's outdated, was never intended to work this way, and undemocratically skews the vote.

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Equal rights issues.
Like these do not affect my day to day life but if we could just get rid of them it would leave so much time for literally anything else. I do not know what's wrong with treating everyone equally, ok?

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darkknight109 posted...

I'm in support of that. I'm even more in support of ditching the entire EC model, given that it's outdated, was never intended to work this way, and undemocratically skews the vote.

I don't live in America, but in Canada we can all feel what it's like to have Toronto, being the largest voting block, having its hand in everything

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Lokarin posted...

I don't live in America, but in Canada we can all feel what it's like to have Toronto, being the largest voting block, having its hand in everything

Yes, and that's what they get for having more people. That's called democracy.

Ontario has nearly 40% of our population, so yeah, they're going to have a big say in how the country is run. The only way that wouldn't be true would be to change the system to be flagrantly undemocratic and, in essence, punish people for daring to live in the most concentrated population centres.

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Lokarin posted...

I don't live in America, but in Canada we can all feel what it's like to have Toronto, being the largest voting block, having its hand in everything

Yeah, and considering how anti-west they are, its a really big problem. Theres really no point in showing up to vote if youre in certain provinces.

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I'd go back to the good old days, when only wealthy white male land-owners were allowed to vote.
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ParanoidObsessive posted...

I'd go back to the good old days, when only wealthy white male land-owners were allowed to vote.

Wow that's a spicy meatball

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