Number 4: The Spoiler Effect

Anyone awake during the 2000 U.S. presidential election is aware of the spoiler effect. In that election, we had a candidate that didn’t win (Nader) who divided another candidate’s support (Gore). Without Nader’s presence, Gore would have won; but with Nader present, Bush won. It makes no sense for a candidate to enter the race—and lose!—yet change the winner. But that’s the kind of nonsense plurality carries out.

Plurality voting is extremely sensitive to the spoiler effect. The “spoiler” candidate only needs to take away a little support from a similar candidate to sway the election. This happens because plurality only lets you choose one candidate. Because you can only pick one, voters are forced to divide their support among similar candidates.

The spoiler effect influences policy as well. It largely explains the U.S.’s draconian ballot access laws. Third parties and independents are often forced to quickly get many thousands — sometimes tens or hundreds of thousands — of signatures to get on the ballot.

To make matters worse, major parties then challenge those signatures to try to kick them off the ballot. In Pennsylvania, presidential candidate Ralph Nader was forced to pay court costs just for defending his own signatures. This heinousness plays out on the local level, too.

Why do major parties do this? Without a third or fourth candidate on the ballot, there’s no worry of a spoiler. Of course that also means voters don’t get options, but that’s not the major parties’ problem. So far, major parties have preferred to stifle competition and democratic speech than address the real culprit: plurality voting.

Read Full Article Here

The post Why Does Plurality Voting Fail? appeared first on Follow My Vote.

It is already evident that both parties want to be on the “right” side of popular issues so as to ensure their reelection and party control in both houses of Congress for the next two years.Democrats are walking a fine ideological line to maintain control of the Senate while Republicans seek to remain in control in the House and make a push for control of the Senate.

However, this has and continues to lead to gridlock in Washington and the death of much needed legislation that sits in limbo, as both house debate but refuse to budge on key issues. An obvious example of this gridlock is seen in the way that Congress has passed an all-time low of 72 bills this year, which falls short of the next lowest by 16 bills. This is unprecedented, as even in 2007, when President Bush dealt with a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress, he was able to pass 180 bills.

This failure of Congress to act on even minor legislation stems from the widening divide between both parties as neither will budge on major issues to compromise in the name of creating successful policy.It seems our elected officials would rather stick to their guns and block votes on legislation to prove points and refuse to make adjustments to bills based on principle disagreements. This only hurts the American public, as the most efficient forms of bills are  created and principle issues continue to be left open ended and unsolved.

Regardless of what side you are on, I think we can all agree that the people don’t want an ineffective gridlocked government. Thus, when you stop and think about it, this highlights the notion that candidates campaign to connect with the people, win over their hearts, minds, and ultimately get their votes; but, once they get elected, they seem to disconnect from the people and connect with their colleagues within their party in Washington vote along party lines, despite what the people want.

Sadly, due to the nature of things in Washington, even minor adjustments to laws necessary for the more efficient operation of the government are being left to die in the Congressional chambers and gridlock prevents any improvement.It’s time Congress realized that compromise and negotiation are in the best interests of the American people and regardless of party position; it is the people’s opinion and welfare that should be driving government action.

The time to step out of party corners and out of gridlock is now, for the good of this country and every person in it.  I encourage every American to vote. Vote to make a change, to have an impact, to ensure that our government remains in our hands so that we can have policies that will not be best for a party but best for the people of the United States of America.

Billy Sharp

The post Congressional Gridlock Stifles Efficiency of Government appeared first on Follow My Vote.

Your vote is your voice. If you choose not to vote, you are choosing to exercise your right to remain silent. But, if you choose to remain silent, how can you expect to get what you want out of life?

Our elected officials are not mind-readers with supernatural abilities, they are everyday people like you and me. Even so, the reality is that our lawmakers ultimately get to make the decisions about what legislation is drafted into bills and written into law.

So, if you are opposed to the idea of letting other people make your decisions for you, REGISTER TO VOTE and let your voice be heard by voting with every chance you get!

The post Are You Registered? appeared first on Follow My Vote.