I like the idea that people should be able to choose their representatives based on how they live, rather than where they live.
You sign up as a “gamer,” or a “farmer” or a “soccer mom.” Whatever you decide for that term. Your representative then wheels and deals and votes for laws that help you.
Any group that had 0.5% of the population willing to sign up would get their voice in the Legislature.
It would be proportional, but instead of your representation being based on your address it’s based on a choice you make.
Think of it this way; you’re a computer programmer who works from home in Hayseed, Iowa. Everyone lese in your town is a farmer or working in farm related business. Your voice will never be heard by the Congressperson.
Under the new system, your address would be irrelevant. You’d be voting for a computer person who knows exactly what you need.
That’s one example. You might want to be part of the ‘teachers’ or ‘gun owners.’
The original idea comes from a novel, “Double Star” by Robert Heinlein. He doesn’t provide an actual constitution, but I do think it’s a nice idea to play around with.
This sounds very much like the German electoral system, except in the German system your address and your preferred “group” are relevant. You get two votes, one is for a local representative, the other is just for a party (so you could freely vote for the “gamer” party if it existed), and both votes contribute seats to government.
But the reason it’s based on address is because the person you vote for has power over that location. In this system, what would that person have power over?
The idea is briefly mentioned in the book “Double Star” by Robert Heinlein. He doesn’t provide an actual constitution.
Governors and mayors would still run the local area, but the national laws would be passed by a legislature composed of people all elected ‘at large.’
The Congressmember from Texas has no power in his state. He can’t force anyone to do something. They can go to Washington and vote for a law that’s enforced by the police.
Yes. You might have a version of it in which every group gets one representative, whether it’s “people who have visited Vietnam at least once” with 0.5% of the population or “customer service workers” with 20% of the population
This is exactly the political description described in Ann Palmer’s “Terra Ignota.” Government by consent, irrespective of geography. People would join with up to one Hive – some embodied idealist motherly traits like the Cousins, others were strictly about the nationstates of old, like the European Union. It’s four volumes, but is an interesting tale of 25th century political science.
Robert Heinlein worked on some real political campaigns back in the day and it shows in his writings.
Another fun political writer is Ross Thomas. He was a WW2 veteran who went from being a Washington reporter to a crime novelist.
“The Fools In Town Are On Our Side” is about a plan to clean up a small Southern city by making it "
so corrupt that even the pimps will vote for reform."
“The Porkchoppers” is about a Nixon era Union election. It’s all about the nuts and bolts of running a dirty campaign.
I like the idea that people should be able to choose their representatives based on how they live, rather than where they live.
You sign up as a “gamer,” or a “farmer” or a “soccer mom.” Whatever you decide for that term. Your representative then wheels and deals and votes for laws that help you.
Any group that had 0.5% of the population willing to sign up would get their voice in the Legislature.
Is this different than proportional representation?
It would be proportional, but instead of your representation being based on your address it’s based on a choice you make.
Think of it this way; you’re a computer programmer who works from home in Hayseed, Iowa. Everyone lese in your town is a farmer or working in farm related business. Your voice will never be heard by the Congressperson.
Under the new system, your address would be irrelevant. You’d be voting for a computer person who knows exactly what you need.
That’s one example. You might want to be part of the ‘teachers’ or ‘gun owners.’
The original idea comes from a novel, “Double Star” by Robert Heinlein. He doesn’t provide an actual constitution, but I do think it’s a nice idea to play around with.
This sounds very much like the German electoral system, except in the German system your address and your preferred “group” are relevant. You get two votes, one is for a local representative, the other is just for a party (so you could freely vote for the “gamer” party if it existed), and both votes contribute seats to government.
TIL. Thank you.
But the reason it’s based on address is because the person you vote for has power over that location. In this system, what would that person have power over?
The idea is briefly mentioned in the book “Double Star” by Robert Heinlein. He doesn’t provide an actual constitution.
Governors and mayors would still run the local area, but the national laws would be passed by a legislature composed of people all elected ‘at large.’
The Congressmember from Texas has no power in his state. He can’t force anyone to do something. They can go to Washington and vote for a law that’s enforced by the police.
Yes. You might have a version of it in which every group gets one representative, whether it’s “people who have visited Vietnam at least once” with 0.5% of the population or “customer service workers” with 20% of the population
This is exactly the political description described in Ann Palmer’s “Terra Ignota.” Government by consent, irrespective of geography. People would join with up to one Hive – some embodied idealist motherly traits like the Cousins, others were strictly about the nationstates of old, like the European Union. It’s four volumes, but is an interesting tale of 25th century political science.
Very cool. Thanks, I’d never heard of that book.
Robert Heinlein worked on some real political campaigns back in the day and it shows in his writings.
Another fun political writer is Ross Thomas. He was a WW2 veteran who went from being a Washington reporter to a crime novelist.
“The Fools In Town Are On Our Side” is about a plan to clean up a small Southern city by making it " so corrupt that even the pimps will vote for reform."
“The Porkchoppers” is about a Nixon era Union election. It’s all about the nuts and bolts of running a dirty campaign.