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How to move past a two party system #26

Closed dsernst closed 7 years ago

dsernst commented 7 years ago

Could be really good to write about LD's effect on the two party system. So many people want out.

dsernst commented 7 years ago

Subtitle: Liquid Democracy offers a systemic alternative to two party politics

dsernst commented 7 years ago

From draft of crowdfunding pitch

Right now, a candidate who gets only 51% of their district's vote still goes to the legislature to represent 100% of the people, even if you didn't personally vote for them.

This leads to incredibly high-stakes campaigns. You either win, and get it all, or you lose, and go home with nothing. No wonder campaigns can become so nasty. No wonder candidates often take campaign funding from groups they'd otherwise rather not deal with.

And it's this systemic pressure that entrenches a two-party duopoly. Individuals want their vote to have an impact, but strategy suggests that picking a third party candidate means "wasting your vote".

Liquid Democracy is different. You pick a delegate that's right for you. No one else picks for you.

dsernst commented 7 years ago

How to move past a two-party system

"There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution."

— John Adams, Letter to Jonathan Jackson (2 October 1780)

Many Americans decry our two-party system. But how specifically could we address it? Is it written in law?

Not exactly. One of the causes is media treatment, like inviting only the two major party candidates to debate. Another is our social expectations.

But there's more to it than that. There are major structural reasons for our partisanship. It's in the game theory.

Here's an example: even if a candidate only gets 51% of their district's vote, they still win. Now they speak for the whole district, even those who didn't vote for them.

This leads to extra high-stakes elections. You either win and get it all, or you lose and go home with nothing. No wonder campaigns can become so nasty (even when they're supposed to be on the same team). No wonder politicians take money from groups they'd otherwise not owe favors.

And it's this systemic pressure that entrenches a two-party duopoly. Individuals want a voice, but strategy says that picking a third party is "throwing away your vote". Social choice theory shows how this entrenches a two-party landscape.

But a liquid democratic system is different. Instead of winner-take-all, representation becomes proportional. 51% of support from the electorate means 51% of voting power in the legislature.

Citizens become free to choose representatives right for them. Representation is no longer limited to those at the top of the ballot, picked by the party elite. And with much lower barrier to entry, we can work with many more ideas than the standard two-party platforms.

It's silly to keep pretending there are only two sides. Liquid democracy offers us a way out. Join us.

dsernst commented 7 years ago

https://github.com/liquidvote/blog.liquid.vote/commit/484ffc0a8f5f4c7c31176cc6958949df3106032a