SCOTUS: sponsored by Harlan Crow

[Handyman]

You cant have a single House...sorry that would never work. Its either going to be 100000 times easier to pass stuff (imagine Trump with no Senate to block him) and abuse or literally zero will get done. You have to split up duties and checks amongst two.

So the issue becomes what is the second House? The Senate doesn't work and history shows it never really does. 200 years ago The Great Compromise made sense but now it is just an outdated defense of slavery and elitism. Population is already used in the House of Reps so I am not sure what the other House should be based on. I am not smart enough to know the answer though. (Whatever it is the current rules of the Senate will be abolished and banned especially the filibuster) No matter though the majority of important work will be done in The House...the Senate can handle investigations and handling appointments. They also have final approval of bills the House passes but simple majority wins the day.

But beyond all that adding Reps will fix half the issues. The current breakdown is a joke and is not representative at all. IIRC when I did the math there should be over 600 Reps right now. Seat them and then allow new states to join. Abolish gerrymandering and we are back to at least resembling a Democracy.

There are other structural changes needed as well. There needs to be 13 SC justices not 9. The Electoral College needs to be abolished. The Constitution needs some updating to be brought into the modern world.

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Numbered federal court circuits should also go from 11 to 13. For sure need to carve up the 9th, as Trump continues to pack it with fascists over the next 3 years. They just confirmed another one.

 

[psych]

Again, you can’t have it both ways. If it’s hard to undo it’s hard to do.

I should clarify, I’m talking about a house-only system. There’s nothing magic about a house vs parliament

I think the real issue is the GOP is the strongest party on Earth, and they’re (just recently lol) anti-democratic and authoritarian. Their agenda works perfectly within budget reconciliation, so they can easily pass stuff they want, while, actually yes, making it quite hard to undo. We’ll agree to disagree that one can’t have it both ways…because that’s exactly how it’s currently playing out. How easy will it be to roll back the One Big Beautiful Bill? Easy to pass…nearly impossible to roll back.

Es lo que es. We’re in agreement on solutions. But come on, California, implement proportional representation, show us how well it works.

 

[dxmnkd316]

You cant have a single House...sorry that would never work. Its either going to be 100000 times easier to pass stuff (imagine Trump with no Senate to block him) and abuse or literally zero will get done. You have to split up duties and checks amongst two.

So the issue becomes what is the second House? The Senate doesn't work and history shows it never really does. 200 years ago The Great Compromise made sense but now it is just an outdated defense of slavery and elitism. Population is already used in the House of Reps so I am not sure what the other House should be based on. I am not smart enough to know the answer though. (Whatever it is the current rules of the Senate will be abolished and banned especially the filibuster) No matter though the majority of important work will be done in The House...the Senate can handle investigations and handling appointments. They also have final approval of bills the House passes but simple majority wins the day.

But beyond all that adding Reps will fix half the issues. The current breakdown is a joke and is not representative at all. IIRC when I did the math there should be over 600 Reps right now. Seat them and then allow new states to join. Abolish gerrymandering and we are back to at least resembling a Democracy.

There are other structural changes needed as well. There needs to be 13 SC justices not 9. The Electoral College needs to be abolished. The Constitution needs some updating to be brought into the modern world.

It seems to me we need a senate for moderation but I think that only happens if you either divide the states into roughly equal populations OR make the senate a sort of veto on the house requiring 2/3 or 3/4.

The latter of the two I’m not sure works but something that clanged off a neuron or two in my head while floating around.

 

[Handyman]

That makes sense actually...

 

[Jimjamesak]

It seems to me we need a senate for moderation but I think that only happens if you either divide the states into roughly equal populations OR make the senate a sort of veto on the house requiring 2/3 or 3/4.

The latter of the two I’m not sure works but something that clanged off a neuron or two in my head while floating around.

Turn the Senate into a Yes/No only chamber.

It cannot create any bills, it cannot modify any bills, but it can investigate. All it does is approve or disapprove nominees and approve or disapprove bills. Plus it has to vote on a bill or nomination within 30 days or the nominee/bill is automatically approved. And the House can override any Senate veto with a 2/3rds vote.

 

[Kepler]

Turn the Senate into a Yes/No only chamber.

It cannot create any bills, it cannot modify any bills, but it can investigate. All it does is approve or disapprove nominees and approve or disapprove bills. Plus it has to vote on a bill or nomination within 30 days or the nominee/bill is automatically approved. And the House can override any Senate veto with a 2/3rds vote.

That is still too much power for an antidemocratic institution. Scrap it. It's a leftover from slavery and agricultural power. It is our House of Lords.

One person one vote. Everything else is just somebody protecting their special carve out. Amber waves of grain don't vote.

 

[Jimjamesak]

That is still too much power for an antidemocratic institution. Scrap it. It's a leftover from slavery and agricultural power. It is our House of Lords.

One person one vote. Everything else is just somebody protecting their special carve out. Amber waves of grain don't vote.

Like Handy said, you need some sort of Upper House to be a speed bump. It needs to exist, just not very powerful.

I was basing my proposal more on the German Bundesrat. It that vain, I would remove direct elections and go back to appointing by the state legislatures. But I’d also require states to have unicameral legislatures and independently drawn districts.

Plus, reduce it to 1 seat per state.

 

[dxmnkd316]

That is still too much power for an antidemocratic institution. Scrap it. It's a leftover from slavery and agricultural power. It is our House of Lords.

One person one vote. Everything else is just somebody protecting their special carve out. Amber waves of grain don't vote.

3/4 is a bar that hasn’t happened since 1939.

But agree in principle with your comment about land.

 

[French Rage]

The Senate maybe makes sense for the 14 states that actually gave up sovereign power to join the Union. For the other 36 arbitrarily drawn lines, not so much.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Two dakotas is absolutely criminal.

 

[Jimjamesak]

The Senate maybe makes sense for the 14 states that actually gave up sovereign power to join the Union. For the other 36 arbitrarily drawn lines, not so much.

TBF, any discussion of constitutional changes is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. The only realistic option is to Balkanize and go on our merry way.

 

[Kepler]

Plus, reduce it to 1 seat per state.

But what if the horses are snowed in?!

TBH with the airlanes closing maybe we need 2 for a while longer...

 

[Kepler]

TBF, any discussion of constitutional changes is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. The only realistic option is to Balkanize and go on our merry way.

We should definitely do a Czech / Slovak split. The United States and Jesusfuckistan should always have been two nations.

If we are actually kicking the South out that also means CA can become a self-sufficient nation. Firstly, it should be. More importantly, not to would create the problem Germany had with Prussia: allegedly equal partners but one of them holds all the cards.

I'd be quite happy with the US (capitol: New York City), CA (San Francisco), TX (Dallas), and The Shitholes (Nashville) as our four offspring. Honest question: given that set up do the Prairies stay in the US, go with the Shitholes, or try to go it alone as the Staten Island of the 5 boroughs, capitol... um... Kansas City?

I'd make a deal. MI, WI, MN, IL join the US and you can have the nation's capitol in Chicago.

Spoiler

(New York still has the banks.)

 

[MissThundercat]

I know gay marriage was back in front of the court today.

I really just want a system that doesn't cater to the fragile egos of Christian Nationalists.

 

[ticapnews]

We should definitely do a Czech / Slovak split. The United States and Jesusfuckistan should always have been two nations.

After the 2004 election then-Congressman Tom Allen (D-ME) met with a small group of supporters. He opened by telling us that it was time to reexamine Lincoln's legacy. "He had a chance to let them go and he blew it." He was kidding.

Kind of.

 

[Handyman]

We should definitely do a Czech / Slovak split. The United States and Jesusfuckistan should always have been two nations.

If we are actually kicking the South out that also means CA can become a self-sufficient nation. Firstly, it should be. More importantly, not to would create the problem Germany had with Prussia: allegedly equal partners but one of them holds all the cards.

I'd be quite happy with the US (capitol: New York City), CA (San Francisco), TX (Dallas), and The Shitholes (Nashville) as our four offspring. Honest question: given that set up do the Prairies stay in the US, go with the Shitholes, or try to go it alone as the Staten Island of the 5 boroughs, capitol... um... Kansas City?

I'd make a deal. MI, WI, MN, IL join the US and you can have the nation's capitol in Chicago.

Spoiler

(New York still has the banks.)

Dont flatter yourself...keep your United States of Rich White Dbags. The Midwest will rape you on trade. Plus we don't want to be part of your property insurance pool. Enjoy your extreme weather!

 

[St. Clown]

I know gay marriage was back in front of the court today.

I really just want a system that doesn't cater to the fragile egos of Christian Nationalists.

They’re only happy when they have a “Them” to hate.

 

[Kepler]

Dont flatter yourself...keep your United States of Rich White Dbags. The Midwest will rape you on trade. Plus we don't want to be part of your property insurance pool. Enjoy your extreme weather!

I get the first 3 sentences. But the fourth... I am pretty sure Wisconsin alone has us beat!

 

[dxmnkd316]

Random map found. Grain of salt, etc