Democracy or Republic - Voting by Billboard
Currently only around a quarter of U.S. citizens gather each year to
vote. Many, if not most, have no personal knowledge of the persons
whom they vote for. Many place their vote based simply on their
familiarity with a name.
The massive number of billboards placed on corners and streets around
voting time simply post the name of the candidate. It is
frightening to realize that apparently billboards have a significant
impact on voting. A representative can be elected purely on his
financial or marketing ability to plaster his name in front of voters
without the least regard to the representatives integrity or political
position.
The problem is that there is no option on voting poles for people to
say they support none of the candidates, and hence do not want to see
the position filled.
Perhaps the construct of our democratic voting for our republican
government aught to be modified to incorporate minimum thresholds for
elected officials. After all, does an individual who only manages to
gather ten or twenty percent support of the people have any right to
represent the other eighty percent of the populous?
Proposed Constitutional Amendment:
No legislature may enact any new legislation unless they
represent a majority of the citizens and not just a majority of
those who turn out to vote.
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