With that, how much power would you be comfortable with your side having (i.e., your political party or faction)?
If your side held every single seat in the legislature, and absolute control of every lever of power in government, from highest-up down to the lowest local/city/municipal/school levels, would you be comfortable with it? If not, how about only an 80% majority instead? Where would the tipping point be where you would say, “OK, this is too much power for us?”
Voted absolute power, but only considering the current opposition. The GOP is not a valid ideological opponent, they are a cancer on America that needs to be excised before the country can begin repairing itself.
50.00001%. At most. I could change my mind on things, they could change, or - gasp! - not keep their promises. Or the world could change. Also, I want whoever is in power to be rightfully supremely concerned about retaining that power.
This presumes I have a side. I don’t. So it’s really hard for me to answer. I guess my side would be the American side so being in America I’d be content with absolute American power
Seventy percent sounds about right, falling in between the two-thirds supermajority in the Senate and the three-quarters needed to ratify a constitutional amendment. Seventy percent will get you past obstructionism in the Senate or overturn a veto, but still means you’ll have to work with the other side to amend the Constitution.
I don’t have a side in the legislature. There’s a team I keep ending up rooting for over the other one, but they only look good because of the contrast. I’d like it if the Republicans had 20% and the Democrats had 30% and the rest was composed entirely of independents and 3rd-party folk.
I just came in to say I don’t have a side either, and you explained my position perfectly, AHunter3. Frankly, I think the whole notion of “sides” is most of what’s wrong with our country right now.
Depends on what ‘my side’ means. If it means choosing between the current political parties, eh, 80% I guess? Mostly because gotta account for defectors,
If it meant ‘my side’ as in a hypothetical side that exactly fits everything I want? 110%.
I’m not going to fight the hypothetical.
I voted to give my side absolute power since, inspite of similarities in views, language and goals, when you get down to the details where the grit gets in the gears, I’m the only one on my side, everything else is cooperation and compromise cause I ain’t enough to take on alla ya. I realize thats a bit further than was probably intended, but if I’m(or my side) is going to be corrupted anyway, why settle for half measures.
I dunno, just how my head seems to be working right now
What makes you think independents and third parties would moderate between them? More likely such a system would result in a Knesset-like situation, in which right wing extremists hold the balance of power.
I’m comfortable with 100%, because if that happens, it would no longer be a monolithic organization. It would split into multiple factions vying for control of that side.
I’m not comfortable with absolute majorities; even though my party is required to always try to involve other parties in any bills they want to propose, people tend to not notice that as much when it happens against a background of absolute majority. Our optics simply work better when we have a small majority or a borderline minority; that spirit of collaboration is more easily visible, and the other parties look like pouting babies if they deny it exists.
There is one aspect in which I’d like to get a majority: the party’s main goal, a specific change to the Spanish Constitution. If it’s ever achieved, the party must dissolve: I’ll be perfectly happy to see that day, if I ever do.
I don’t think Democratic Party cohesion is an imminent concern. :rolleyes:
I’ll be satisfied with 80% of each House of Congress. The Party can then fracture 55-25 and still choose both Majority and Minority Leaders of Congress. The second semi-party will start competing in general elections, and eventually a two-party system will re-arise.
50-60%; maybe a little more. I would hate it if those who felt as I do could just trample everyone else. Just in case I’m wrong (although its hard to imagine me being wrong) I would like some level of discussion taking place and some compromise.
As we are now, I’d be happy with my party in charge, though I’d want there to be opposition voices, so just a supermajority is fine in the Senate, and a healthy majority in the House.
Yes, absolute power corrupts, but they could still be voted out when that starts happening. It would take there actually being valid opposition for me to care.
I would not want a Democratic king or anything. I still want the balances in place to maintain a democracy. But that is sufficient.
Though I would like to see all the shit Trump pulled that violated norms to be encoded into law first. I am worried about a runaway liberal executive, albeit much less so.
