North Dakota has a lot in common with the San Joaquin valley. When it comes to electing the President, the people in the San Joaquin valley have no influence because the huge populations of LA and SF determine the electors. Farmers in North Dakota have a voice. Native Americans are a small minority and have almost none. Similar demographics exist in South Dakota. If the electors actually represented people, Native Americans could get one elector from the Dakotas and Europeans would get the other five. San Joaquin valley would have a few electors representing the farming districts.
In the Federal government, the city dwellers are dominated by the rural dwellers. The Dakotas each get 2 senators and 3 electors. California also gets 2 senators and each elector represents about 3 times as many people.
Harland Harrison
Indeed. The founding fathers devised the Senate for the same reason they devised the Electoral College. Yes, I agree that some populations within others (say, Native Americans) are left out; that is why I oppose any further leaving people out (say, rural residents).
Marcy
It is no secret that the founding fathers disliked too much democracy; they feared it would lead to a tyranny of the majority. That’s one reason they set up a republic and not a democracy.
Democracy tends to break down when the majority discovers they can impose unwanted burdens and costs on everyone else just by voting.
Besides that I thought Libertarians were for INDIVIDUAL rights, not the right of the majority to oppress the minority. Coercion and confiscation are unavoidable parts of any government. What damn difference does it make whether the coercing and confiscating are done by the majority or the minority??? Whether we elect the president by majority vote or electoral college does NOT change the essential nature of government.
I am for LIMITED government. The exact form government or voting structure makes is less important than the scope of government.
Les
Of course!
PS what are the chances of a limited government under a system in which California and New York determine the outcome of presidential elections?
I just realized all this talk is taking place on the Activist List, which LPSF tradition reserves for LPSF strategy and decision making. Sorry.
Marcy