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A New Republic: Constitutional Convention Needed?


maarsen

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Up here in Canada I have been through the process of getting a shiny new constitution. Now that the new constitution smell is fading, my neighbour to the south would like to start kicking the tires also. Any suggestions  for a basic model, or what options, if any? 

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I assume we're talking about the US? 

Electoral reform, just have the person with most votes nationwide win. Perhaps have the French system that you have a second election of no one gets the majority of the votes (in which case the two people with most votes face off).

In a country as big as the US the most democratic thing would be to devolve more powers to the states and sub-state authorities, and thus bring the power closer to the people. If people see a need to retain the US as a single country, just have the federal level in charge of foreign policy and the military. 

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I'm not sure you need to change much about the constitution. But you need to change how voting works.

  1. Allow states to redistrict however they choose without any interference or input from Federal level, BUT all states must use MMP system to elect their representatives to the House AND must do so for the state representatives. Give every state twice as many house reps as they currently have. This gives states proportional representation while also making parties significantly stronger in being able to have power.
  2. Any election for any single position of power (Mayor, Governor, POTUS) cannot be in any way FPTP. It can be STV, or preference, or some other system - but it cannot be FPTP. 
  3. Electoral colleges can still exist. All must go to the model that Maine and Nebraska have. 
  4. Every voter is registered automatically.
  5. Registration can be done the day of election.
  6. Nothing which costs any money at all can be used as requirement on voter ID. With vote by mail, a signature is basically all that's needed.
  7. Every voter is sent a mail ballot. It is up to the states on whether or not they also want to do polling places.
  8. Parties decide how to select their nominees for elections. (primaries become less of a semifinal election if you outlaw FPTP). 
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