boy.on.laptop
July 18th, 2009, 04:09 AM
Over the last few years I have a developed an interest in politics particually western politics (Europe,UK, United States,Canada, Australia and New Zealand). Once clear trend that reinforced my political beliefs is that the FPP(first past the post) system used in different ways in Canada, the States and the United Kingdom seems to disenfranchise the most votes and in the States leave the power entirely in the hands of two parties. I do not believe this is democratic. I find it astonishing that the 'upholder of democracy', the United States that created a most revolutionary idea that was far ahead of any where else in the world over 200 years ago, today seems to be stuck in the mud. FPP was the best(and really only democratic) option available to the American fore fathers however things change! Countries with STV(single transferable voting) and proportional representation have seen an increase in concern for political issues(which I believe essential to a working democracy) particularly with young people disinterested in the polarisation of the major parties in most western countries. In the United Kingdom we have seen Labour re-elected with less than 40% of the vote, to spite loosing by other 300,000 votes we saw the election of George W Bush, we have seen millions of third party votes for the Greens and Libertarians in all FPP countries basically disenfranchised. People are now forced to choose between two or three parties in these FPP states or waste their votes, to me that is not a democracy.
What are your thoughts should every vote actually count, it might be the patriot in me but I still think that the mixed proportional representation system in my home country of New Zealand and in Germany are the most democratic around but I would still like to see STV for electorate seats and getting rid of the 5% threshold.
What are your thoughts? Why hasn't there been a change? Or do you belief the current system is working?
P.S. sorry for the mistakes, late Friday night
What are your thoughts should every vote actually count, it might be the patriot in me but I still think that the mixed proportional representation system in my home country of New Zealand and in Germany are the most democratic around but I would still like to see STV for electorate seats and getting rid of the 5% threshold.
What are your thoughts? Why hasn't there been a change? Or do you belief the current system is working?
P.S. sorry for the mistakes, late Friday night