this post was submitted on 07 Mar 2024
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[–] chuckleslord@lemmy.world 15 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Merging the two houses won't help. We need proportional representation. Make the senate 600 seats, and a national, proportional election (seats are given based on % of votes for the party). They're still 6 year terms, with elections every two years. Seats are given to any party that can clear 0.5% to start, then the threshold is increased to 2% after 12 years. Then expand the house. Now you have local reps and proportional reps. Much better than giving "states" reps, which makes almost no sense.

[–] Cryophilia@lemmy.world -3 points 8 months ago (2 children)

We need proportional representation.

That's what the House is for.

[–] chuckleslord@lemmy.world 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)

The house is Local Representation. You don't vote for what party you want to see control the house, you vote for a local representative to represent you and your neighbors.

[–] Cryophilia@lemmy.world -1 points 8 months ago (2 children)

It is also that. The two are by necessity the same thing.

[–] Pipoca@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

No?

Proportional representation is where parties get a number of seats proportional to the percent of votes they get.

Proportional voting methods are often nation-wide, although there's also e.g. mixed member proportional and local 3-5 member districts elected via STV like they do in Ireland.

[–] chuckleslord@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

By making them the same thing, you encourage gerrymandering. In the US, there's no way for a third party to gain any representation. A national, proportional election would force the issue and allow for more diversity in political thought.

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

But not in the same way that actual proportional representation works. They're distributed by population yes, but they're tied to a geographical location. Real proportional representation is national. So you have one legislative body tied to a district they're supposed to represent, and another tied to the base of voters across the country that elected them.