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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#39826: Nov 11th 2012 at 6:45:45 PM

... How would you even run for House Seats?

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#39827: Nov 11th 2012 at 6:49:42 PM

Deviant I know the original intention was that they represent their district but gerrymandering has proven that that it's too easy to abuse this setup. To truly reflect the will of the people I think we have to base it on something else. Here's what I've come up with after an hour or so of thought.

States will have on their ballots a section that says something to the effect of "House Majority" which lists the main political parties (Democrats, Republicans, Greens, Libertarians, and whatever else). You vote for who you want to control the house. After doing that you see two columns that list the candidates running for House seats in the state by party (most will be Democrats and Republicans but if others are running they'll be there). You'll bubble in who you want to win a seat from greatest to least (so if there are ten house seats you're shown ten candidates for each party) and whoever gets the greatest number of 1s gets in first, greatest number of 2s is second, etc. So say we have a state with ten house seats and the Republicans have a sixty percent majority in the national popular vote. This means that the first six of the candidates on their ticket would get in while the top four for the Dems would get in.

It's not perfect by any means and I'll likely revise this idea after several people have critiqued it but at least it gives the state a House setup that matches it's population. We won't get BS like what happened in PA. The Democrats got 50% of the vote but due to gerrymandering they only won 27% of the House seats which is 5 out of 18.

edited 11th Nov '12 6:51:38 PM by Kostya

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#39828: Nov 11th 2012 at 6:53:40 PM

I know the original intention was that they represent their district but gerrymandering has proven that that it's too easy to abuse this setup.

Okay stop.

You want to stop Gerrymandering? Then we should get independent commissions to do the redistricting process.

Its a far less convoluted plan, and would probably be far less expensive to implant.

To truly reflect the will of the people I think we have to base it on something else

Representatives are supposed to reflect the will of the people in their district, not the will of everyone in their state.

If the districts were created without bias, then this wouldn't be a problem.

edited 11th Nov '12 7:01:17 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
RavenWilder Since: Apr, 2009
#39830: Nov 11th 2012 at 7:01:11 PM

I'll say it again: can't we get a computer to handle redistricting? At least if someone accuses a computer of being biased, you can have experts take a look at its code to determine whether that's the case. Dissecting committee members' brains is more entertaining, but not nearly as informative.

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#39831: Nov 11th 2012 at 7:02:01 PM

[up][up][up]No matter how independent they are they could still make mistakes. I'm going for maximum accuracy in terms of representing the will of the people. I admit that might not be the easiest solution when all is said and done but I at least want to try and figure out how to make this work.

Forget biased. I want the map to be a true representation of the will of the state's people. Districts just don't seem like they can achieve this so I feel the need to come up with an alternative method.

edited 11th Nov '12 7:02:36 PM by Kostya

Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#39832: Nov 11th 2012 at 7:02:22 PM

[up][up][up][up]

Its a circular problem, though.

The people who would have to vote in independent election commissions are the people who would lose most from it.

edited 11th Nov '12 7:02:36 PM by Midgetsnowman

RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#39833: Nov 11th 2012 at 7:02:47 PM

I still like the "party in power designs twice as many ridings as are necessary, party out of power fuses the pairs to form the final set of ridings" approach.

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#39834: Nov 11th 2012 at 7:03:00 PM

[up][up][up][up]

What if the experts are biased?

edited 11th Nov '12 7:03:33 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#39835: Nov 11th 2012 at 7:03:37 PM
deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#39836: Nov 11th 2012 at 7:09:46 PM

[up][up][up][up][up] Every system makes mistakes. For example, in your system, someone might come in from a party that people like, but who people don't want. Like, he lied a lot, or something, during the campaign. Or everyone votes Republican because they want an extreme conservative, but, instead, they get a bunch of RINOs, or something like that.

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#39837: Nov 11th 2012 at 7:32:17 PM

Senate Majority Leader Reid assures Senator Sanders he won’t agree to cuts in Social Security

This means that the first six of the candidates on their ticket would get in while the top four for the Dems would get in.

Who determines which position candidates get on a ticket?

edited 11th Nov '12 7:35:05 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#39838: Nov 11th 2012 at 7:50:57 PM

I need all you economics thinkers opinions.

Is this what going off the Fiscal Cliff would mean?

Senator Sherrod Brown: Karl Rove was 'pathetic' on Election Night

Senator Graham: Petraeus testimony to Congress on Benghazi attack ‘essential’

edited 11th Nov '12 8:15:47 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
ohsointocats from The Sand Wastes Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Thorn14 Gunpla is amazing! Since: Aug, 2010
Gunpla is amazing!
#39840: Nov 11th 2012 at 9:26:49 PM

Watching Men Who Built America is terrifying.

Knowing just 3 men pretty much controlled our country off the backs of suffering workers and greed.

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#39841: Nov 11th 2012 at 10:13:24 PM

[up]

You mean Rockefeller, Morgan, and Carnegie?

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
DirectorCannon Since: Nov, 2011
#39842: Nov 11th 2012 at 10:26:47 PM

[up][up] Unwatched corporate power and no labor rights is terrible, but you have to admit that the intrigue is interesting.

RTaco Since: Jul, 2009
#39843: Nov 11th 2012 at 11:09:29 PM

Don't you mean intriguing? tongue

edited 11th Nov '12 11:09:40 PM by RTaco

DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#39845: Nov 11th 2012 at 11:15:57 PM

[up] I think it was a pun. The intrigue is intriguing? tongue

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
DirectorCannon Since: Nov, 2011
Inhopelessguy Since: Apr, 2011
Thorn14 Gunpla is amazing! Since: Aug, 2010
Gunpla is amazing!
#39848: Nov 11th 2012 at 11:56:07 PM

Its still scary as hell haha.

Inhopelessguy Since: Apr, 2011
#39849: Nov 11th 2012 at 11:56:49 PM

Oh, right, yeah.

The fear is fearful. tongue

TrashJack Confirmed Doomer from beyond the Despair Event Horizon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Confirmed Doomer
#39850: Nov 12th 2012 at 12:07:53 AM

And the noun is nounish.

"Cynic, n. — A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be." - The Devil's Dictionary

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