[468] in libertarians
Re: term limits
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Magnus Nilsson)
Wed Dec 7 03:00:50 1994
Date: Wed, 7 Dec 1994 08:54:36 +0100 (MET)
From: Magnus Nilsson <magnusn@algonet.se>
To: Travis Corcoran <tjic@ICD.teradyne.com>
Cc: libertarians@MIT.EDU
In-Reply-To: <9412061556.AA23987@difrel.ICD.Teradyne.COM>
On Tue, 6 Dec 1994, Travis Corcoran wrote:
> On a topic slightly tangent to the original term limits thread:
>
> Has anyone considered a more radical overhaul of the system of
> choosing representatives to the Fed government?
>
> A few ideas:
>
> 1) proportional representation: if the Republicans receive 45% of the
> vote, the Dems get 45%, the Libs get 8%, and the Greens get 2%, then
> the represenative body is made up of 45% Reps, 45% Dems, etc. This
> system is used in many of the democracies of Western Europe. It
> hasn't led to a libertarian Utopia, but it is still an interesting
> system...
We have that system in sweden, I can tell you its a bad one. We have not
had an majority governments since 1968 and we are not likely to have one
ever again. Proportional systems without division of labour are expensiv
(bout 70 % of GDP!)
>
> 2) voting groups based on factors other than geography: right now all
> citizens of Massachussets get to choose 2 senators, and citizens of
> Boston get to choose a Rep, etc. Why not group people by their
> (self-proclaimed) proffessions: students nationwide get to elect 2
> senators and 3 Reps, engineers nationwide get to elect 2 senators and
> 2 reps, factory workers get 2 senators and 4 reps, teachers get 2
> senators and 1 rep, etc. In 1789 the concerns of a given individual
> were often most similar to those of his geographical neighbors. In
> 1994 it seems that the concerns of a given individual are often most
> similar to those of his fellow-proffessionals.
I beleave that you will have one big party for public servants and most
of the people on wellfare and different sorts of subsidies. The Swedish
social democrat wiht around 45 % of the wotes are entirely based on
theese sort of people. The moderates (cons) have all the industrialsit
and most people in the private sector exept unskilled workers: theyre
around 22%. The public sector spende 65-70 % of gnp.
The clever ones notise the gap between 50 % taxes and 65% in public
spending. Our interest rates notice that to (over 8 % in real termes).
Stick to your system, its the best you can get...
>
> Comments?
>
> TJIC
>
