ccplumb@watmath.UUCP (10/19/87)
In article <11243@orchid.waterloo.edu> tmtimar@orchid.waterloo.edu (Ted M.A. Timar) writes: >Allowing a house to be based on popular vote is a nice idea, however I >feel that the senate should be elected based on profession. This would >allow every person to be represented twice, once by a regional member, >and once by a member of his/her profession. > >It seems likely that many professions do not get adequate representation >because disproportionately many members of the house are lawyers. Despite this point, I don't see a reason tho change things this way in particular. Besides, what about people who don't fit in? It's generally pretty easy to decide where someone lives. My favourite election technique (I don't expect it to suddenly come into being, but I'll tell everyone anyway) is to give everyone a transferable "vote" token which they can give to anyone in the country who's running. Anyone with more than N tokens would be entitled to sit in Parliament, with a vote proportional to the number of backers they have. This way, there's enough variety that (hopefully) some truly representative candidates for any given person exist, and the traditional lesser-of-n-evils problem can be avoided. There are still some problems to be worked out, like how do you tell the MPs who they're representing, without telling them who voted for them. There's also the problem of what to do with the votes which don't succeed in getting someone elected. Perhaps there should be some system of rounds, like party caucus meetings, so failed candidates can back someone else. Since this system has the advantage that every vote counts (there are no 50% thresholds, except nationwide, which I doubt anyone will reach), everyone should have the chance to give their vote to someone who will use it, even if that person isn't their first choice. -- -Colin (watmath!ccplumb) Zippy says: Once, there was NO fun... This was before MENU planning, FASHION statements or NAUTILUS equipment... Then, in 1985.. FUN was completely encoded in this tiny MICROCHIP.. It contain 14,768 vaguely amusing SIT-COM pilots!! We had to wait FOUR BILLION years but we finally got JERRY LEWIS, MTV and a large selection of creme-filled snack cakes!