[lbo-talk] Third Party Solutions, was Re: Lieberman

[Shane Taylor]

Jon Johanning wrote:
> If the theory is correct that the U.S. system of
> single-representative constituencies with
> winner-take-all elections makes effective third
> parties impossible, then organizing such parties
> would require changing the whole system, and I
> don't see any big groundswell in the public for
> going to a proportional representation system.
> I'm not quite sure myself whether a PR system
> would really be a big improvement, since radical
> politics in most countries that have it doesn't
> seem to have advanced much more than in this
> country, but it would make stable third parties
> with some staying power (see below) more feasible.
> OTOH, one has to always remember that in such
> a PR system, not all the "third parties" are on the
> left!  :-)

True, it would be a mistake to presume that simply by changing to a PR
system the Left would gain.  But the "groundswell", as usual, must be
constructed.  Michael Sifry (sp?) once mentioned a number of restrictions
created in the 20th century to limit the power of third parties.  Both
repealing those and establishing well-organized parties (even if it must
avoid major elections for years) is what I'm most concerned with.  And
the former isn't likely without the latter.  Maybe a PR system will
provide the best opportunity for a new party, but I don't know and am not
strictly attached to it.


> OTOH (there is always another hand), true third
> parties also risk getting "institutionalized" or even
> fossilized, while the U.S. pattern of spasmodic
> pushes from the left does allow fresh blood and new
> organizational ideas to have a chance of being tried
> out.

Institutionalization is a fate worth tempting, I say.

-- Shane

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