Instructions: This week’s discussion has two parts focusing on parties and elections. The first part has you weigh the merits or flaws in different approaches to elections. The second part is about understanding what different political parties, both major and minor, stand for and how they compare to each other.
Please make an original post by Thursday, then feel free to respond to your peers by Sunday.
Part 1: Debating Elections
Election rules are constantly changing throughout the country, with each rule having benefits and drawbacks. Below are samples of some reforms proposed to both state and federal election rules. Pick one of the following topics, then provide 100-200 word arguments (roughly a paragraph each) For AND Against the proposition, weighing the advantages and disadvantages.
The US should replace the Presidential appointment system with judicial elections for all federal courts.
The US should remove all limits on campaign contributions to candidates running for federal office.
The US should let State Legislatures pick Presidential Electors instead of voters.
The US should directly elect the President and Vice President.
The US should guarantee representation of Native American tribes in Congress.
The US should only have nonpartisan elections (in other words, party labels do not appear on the ballot).
The US should adopt a proportional representation (PR) system in Congress.
The US should adopt an instant-runoff voting system for all Congressional elections.
The US should a nationwide initiative process for citizens to propose laws.
The US should allow recall elections for all federal officeholders.
The US should impose term limits on Congress.
The US should set a maximum age of 70 to run for all federal offices.
Part 2: What do the Parties actually stand for?
Party Platforms are a way that parties communicate their principles and policy goals to the public. Navigate your way to the platform of one of the parties in the US and accomplish these three tasks:
1. Identify at least two key values of the party in the preamble or statement of principles. The values are not issue stances, but commitments to general ideas, such as justice, virtue, liberty, sustainability, etc. You can usually find this at the very top of the platform.
2. Summarize three stances on specific issues that one of the parties takes. Parties typically organize their platforms into sections on specific areas (such as criminal justice, election law, transportation, education, or property rights), so please pick your issues from more than one area.
3. Finally, compare and contrast the issues you reported with two other parties.
