What parties would the US have if it switched to proportional representation? (user search)
       |           

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
April 24, 2024, 06:27:05 PM
News: Election Simulator 2.0 Released. Senate/Gubernatorial maps, proportional electoral votes, and more - Read more

  Talk Elections
  General Politics
  U.S. General Discussion (Moderators: The Dowager Mod, Chancellor Tanterterg)
  What parties would the US have if it switched to proportional representation? (search mode)
Pages: [1]
Author Topic: What parties would the US have if it switched to proportional representation?  (Read 6166 times)
I spent the winter writing songs about getting better
BRTD
Atlas Prophet
*****
Posts: 113,022
Ukraine


Political Matrix
E: -6.50, S: -6.67

P P
« on: January 24, 2013, 12:22:22 AM »

Obviously there'd be a wider variety of parties. Here's what I see:

-The Democrats would quite shrink and the closest thing to the current Democratic party would be a party similar to say the Social Democrats in Germany or Dutch Labour or the French Socialists in recent years, one that would be obviously left of center in platform and would retain a good relationship with labor unions and the like, but would still be open to free trade and not too aggressive in terms of tax rates. Pretty much the same in regards to the current Democrats in social issues, though it would've shifted on gay marriage a lot faster than the Democrats did if this system had been already in use since the turn of the century. Consistently gets around 25% of the vote.
-There'd also be a party to the left of the Democrats and more concerned and aggressive with economics, might have some socially conservative factions in the past but now opposing gay marriage would be anathema and it'd be tearing up over guns at the moment. Probably would do better than most comparable parties in Europe since it wouldn't have the stigma of being linked to old communists or anything like that (of course the right's voters would think that, but for anyone willing to vote for them it'd be meaningless.) Gets about 10-15% of the vote. As absurd as the Elizabeth Warren/Dennis Kucinich comparison was elsewhere this is a good question as to who'd lead it, which would have a huge effect on how well they did of course.
-Some party that's to the left of the current Democrats and maybe even the main center left party on social issues, but would be centrist in economic platform and at least center-right in actual policy, think the right wing of the Liberal Democrats. Andrew Cuomo is a perfect example of what this party would be like (well maybe a bit more pro-environment). Probably pulls about 5-10% of the vote.
-The rump Republican party would be like what you'd get if threw out all the special interests and crazies, probably best comparable to George HW Bush or Chris Christie to use a contemporary example. Would pull around 30-40% of the vote, now obviously near the low end of it.
-Hardcore social conservatives who aren't afraid of more leftist economic policies are another obvious example. At least historically, now they'd be only superficially economically moderate like Mike Huckabee. Might also include some Tom Tancredo-esque nationalists. Typically pulling around 10%.
-There'd be a party to the right of the rump Republicans too though they'd go from barely relevant numbers in the past to huge now and might've even at one point look like they'd dethrone the rump Republicans as the main right wing party (think the Progress Party in Norway.) Basically for the Michele Bachmanns and Allen Wests. Would be full of socially conservative crazies but rhetoric wise would emphasize just economics in terms of being to the right of the rump Republicans. Would've been polling near 20% recently, but on the decline and now in the low teens.
-You'd probably also have a Paulite type party, running a large range on social issues but would be consistently opposed to things like the PATRIOT Act and in favor of marijuana legalization, very right wing economically but not in a corporatist way like the rump Republicans, and very anti-interventionist. Probably never gets more than 5%, but would make lots of noise.

And some other scattered parties that may or may not make the threshold depending on what it is. Some Green party (more like European Greens than what the US Green Party is), and some remnants of historical agrarian or racial minority based parties that might occasionally rise thanks to protest voting.
Logged
Pages: [1]  
Jump to:  


Login with username, password and session length

Terms of Service - DMCA Agent and Policy - Privacy Policy and Cookies

Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines

Page created in 0.019 seconds with 12 queries.