US electoral system explained

[kowalskil]

The ongoing debates (August 2015) among potential Republican presidential candidates reminded me of a note I posted several years ago. Below is a link to an updated (and hopefully better) version of this note:

http://pages.csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/presidentEN.htm

How can a retired teacher miss an opportunity for sharing what he thinks he understands better? Feel free to share the above link with all who might be interested, especially students. Comments will be appreciated, as usual.

Ludwik Kowalski, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus,
Montclair State University
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[tecoyah]

The ongoing debates (August 2015) among potential Republican presidential candidates reminded me of a note I posted several years ago. Below is a link to an updated (and hopefully better) version of this note:

http://pages.csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/presidentEN.htm

How can a retired teacher miss an opportunity for sharing what he thinks he understands better? Feel free to share the above link with all who might be interested, especially students. Comments will be appreciated, as usual.

Ludwik Kowalski, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus,
Montclair State University
=============================================

While I can appreciate, and even agree with the problems and issues that are created in the U.S. system...I can also understand why it exists. States rights are a major part of the republic and must be appreciated.

 

[David]

While I can appreciate, and even agree with the problems and issues that are created in the U.S. system...I can also understand why it exists. States rights are a major part of the republic and must be appreciated.

The country is too big. The republic was structured with the idea that it would stretch across the eastern seaboard and maybe expand down the Ohio river and Canada (which was also a small eastern power at the time). If we didn't change election laws for the House we'd have over 3k representatives now!
The nation should be broken up into smaller federations with a lose confederate government holding it all together (think UN but just for the US). A monetary and financial union and a joint military would allow the country to retain it's economic and military power.

 

[BlinkGene]

The country is too big. The republic was structured with the idea that it would stretch across the eastern seaboard and maybe expand down the Ohio river and Canada (which was also a small eastern power at the time). If we didn't change election laws for the House we'd have over 3k representatives now!
The nation should be broken up into smaller federations with a lose confederate government holding it all together (think UN but just for the US). A monetary and financial union and a joint military would allow the country to retain it's economic and military power.

Do you mean turn each state into it's own country with it's own government?

 

[David]

Do you mean turn each state into it's own country with it's own government?

No, I mean regional powers (with special attention to cultural ties). So for example the SE would look like the CSA minus Kentucky and Texas, The west cost minus Alaska would be their own thing, etc. D.C. would still be the center of power but they'd be limited to treaties, war and currency with regional confederate governments handling the rest of what are currently thought of as Fed powers. Nothing would really change at the state level except for Alaska, Hawaii and Texas which don't really fit in with any other states and would be both states and confederations.

I don't think he knows what he means. There are countries WAY bigger than the U.S.; Canada, China, Russia, Australia. They don't have problems governing.

Canada is mostly empty land, China is only being held together by force of will with about 5 active separatist movements (to say nothing of the now cold but still very much a thing Chinese Civil War), Russia already lost 1/3 of it's territory in '91 and is currently in a death spiral and Australia is NOT larger than the US.