voting
Postmortems of voting woes, disenfranchisement, and how countries around the world elect government officials.
Checks and Balances Hang in the Balance
The goal line defense by Republicans of Donald Trump is ripping apart one of our nation's most cherished means of self defense. The time tested construct of checks and balances is hanging in the balance.
Robert KatulaPublished 6 years ago in The SwampFrom Democracy to Plutocracy
“The abuse of buying and selling votes crept in and money began to play an important part in determining elections. Later on, this process of corruption spread to the law courts, and then to the army, and finally, the Republic was subjected to the rule of emperors.” - Plutarch
Alexander HiltonPublished 6 years ago in The Swamp2018: A Time for the People of the United States
The arrival of 2018 has the nation at a crucial position in politics as issues from 2017 have yet to be resolved. Additionally, an opportunity has arisen for Americans to flex their power of the vote by turning their eyes towards gubernatorial elections as well as the seats in Congress that are up for re-election in 2018.
Josh ContrerasPublished 6 years ago in The SwampThe Dire State of British Politics
As a 16 year old, I do not yet have the right to vote; my voice cannot be heard and neither can the voices of over 1.5 million other 16-17 year olds. For now, we must make our voices heard in other ways. If these 1.5 million people had the vote available to them, this ‘coalition of chaos’ that is currently in power may not have had to have formed, putting the country in a far better position for the forthcoming Brexit negotiations. As a matter of fact, if these 16-17 year olds had access to the vote in the referendum, then the result may have differed from the one we see today.
Thomas RalphPublished 6 years ago in The SwampShould the Electoral College Be Dissolved?
Although many people believe the Electoral College is a place where people come together to elect the President, it is not. It is a procedure created by the Founding Fathers that is explained in the Constitution. It serves as a compromise between the congressional and popular votes for President. (National Archives and Records Administration, “What is the Electoral College?”).
Why It's Important to Vote
It’s currently election season in 2017, so we’re not voting for a new president, and, save for New Jersey or Virginia, we won’t be voting for new governors either. 2017 is what’s considered an “off-year” meaning that the focus of this year’s elections is mainly local. That said, these “off-years” are not always the most popular or favorable time for people to go out and cast their ballots.
A. Alexis KreiserPublished 7 years ago in The SwampThe Right Age to Vote
The British Labour party is calling for voting age to be reduced to 16. I have never known a person aged 16 years, including myself, that I would trust to make sound judgments about the future of the entire nation. It takes several more years of responsibility to teach a young adult how to make judgments. At 16 years old, the amount of responsibility experienced by any individual is not enough to teach sound judgment.
Peter RosePublished 7 years ago in The SwampA Look at the Last Nine Years Under National
I was raised in New Zealand and lived there most of my life. Looking in on this election from overseas, I think it'd be a great time to recap what National has done for our country over the past nine years—the good, the bad, and the plain ugly.
Archie SwensonPublished 7 years ago in The SwampHow to Become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
It is probably no secret that most MP’s have once dreamed of being Prime Minister. But for someone to get the keys to number 10 Downing Street they have to go down a long hard road.
Nick CarterPublished 7 years ago in The SwampCan Democracy Be Improved?
Is there a better way to govern than by democracy? We are living in a period where democracy is being undermined and degraded.
Peter RosePublished 7 years ago in The SwampDemocracy Under Threat
Let us start a campaign to save democracy. It does not matter which party you support or if you-understandably- say a plague on all their houses.
Peter RosePublished 7 years ago in The SwampAmerica at War
Have you noticed that all of the wars that America has been dragged into by our power hungry and heartless leaders seem to go on and on for decades? We never hear of any talks or negotiations or any desire to resolve the conflicts in the middle east and abroad. Afganistan, Iraq, Syria, Isreal, Palestine to name a few. Isreal and Palestine have been bombing each other for more than half a Millennium. We give them equipment to bomb the Palestinians and other countries give to Palestine to kill the Isrealis.
Donald MorrisPublished 7 years ago in The Swamp