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DEMOCRACY
predates the Greeks.
Semitic peoples, as per documents from Ebla, in Syria, show this.
The Israelites had a Democratic form of government (Deuteronomy 16) -- they elected their judges -- a monarchy was said (by Moses, by Samuel) to be harmful -- they warned against it.
Our electoral system, to be sure, is undemocratic, and should be changed. It was set in place in the Constitution because it was felt the electors were more educated and had more wisdom in choosing the President.
The U.S. is a Republic, not a Democracy, as was Athens. A Republic is representative Democracy, where people elect other people to make their decisions for them, and those other people can make the decisions they deem proper, which might or might not be in line with what those who elected them deem proper.
posted by
Xeno-x
on November 28, 2008 at 5:18 AM
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Re: IS THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE SYSTEM TRULY REFLECTIVE OF THE PEOPLE'S WILL?
THAT SEEMS TO BE A SOUND OBSERVATION ON THE INTENTIONS OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS. I CANT, HOWEVER, SEE SO MUCH DIFFERENCE SINCE IN THE ALLOCATION OF ELECTORAL VOTES THE BIGGER STATES ALSO GET THE MOST NUMBER OF ELECTORAL VOTES THAN THE SMALLER STATES AND THE SYSTEM CAN STILL WORK TOWARDS POSSIBLE MARGINALIZATION OF SMALLER STATES. . . BUT SINCE ITS WORKING WELL IN AMERICA IT MUST BE THE RIGHT SYSTEM FOR THE AMERICANS. THANK YOU MY FRIEND.
posted by
Rotsen
on November 4, 2008 at 8:54 AM
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The Electoral College idea is among the many things that underscore the genius of the Founding Fathers. Imagine if the popular vote determined the outcome, then all a candidate had to do was campaign and win the most populous states. Then those states would get all their wishes met. The smaller states would be marginalized. You certainly would not want that. And remember, only two or three times has a President been chosen without getting the popular vote.
In Britain, and in Canada, and in the Caribbean, the voters choose their representatives; the representatives then choose the Prime Minister. Each constituency in the country has as much a say in the choice of the Prime Minister as any other. That is not our system.
posted by
EX_TURPI
on November 4, 2008 at 7:04 AM
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