Is US electoral democracy most dysfunctional in the world?

 

Is US electoral democracy most dysfunctional in the world?

Roughly half of the 193 countries hold elections.  Familiar only with America’s, I have no way to compare America’s obtuse, convoluted method to elect presidents with any of the near hundred others. But it is hard to imagine any nation so unhinged as to create the electoral train wreck that America set up 235 years ago.

For starters, the national popular vote doesn’t determine the winner. Popular vote only counts in states. Six of 59 presidential winners had fewer votes than the loser, including 3 this century. Chalk up that utterly undemocratic outcome to the Electoral College which essentially conducts 50 popular vote state elections.

The Electoral College is itself a rather Byzantine contraption whereby voters don't truly vote for the candidate on the ballot. They vote for electors pledged to vote for their pick when electors meet at their state capitals roughly 6 weeks after the November election. Some states allow electors to vote for someone other than that pledged to. Seven did this in 2016, 2 nixed Trump while 5 crossed out Hillary. A total of 157 electors bear the disgrace of being ‘faithless electors’ in US history.

But the process drones on. The electors’ votes are forwarded to Congress to be counted and the winner certified during the first week in January, ahead of the January 20 Inauguration. When the party in power loses, it offers up a tempting opportunity to overturn the election by refusing to certify an election they claim was stolen. A fantasy, right? It happened in 2021 and could again, especially since one party is already dredging up stolen election rhetoric.

But another egregious factor, as bad, possibly worse is the 2 party system. It insures that no third party candidate can get on the ballot in enough states to be competitive. It further grants so much power to party leaders that any party outsider considered dangerous is prevented from a fair run at the party nomination. It’s happened throughout 2 party rule including this election. Just ask Bobby Jr. who got aced out of competing for the Democratic nomination and has no chance of appearing on 50 state ballots as a Third Party Candidate.

That is why the upcoming Convention holds no interest for me. The 40 million plus beleaguered folks in Ukraine and Palestine will continue to suffer and die while the party sealing their fate as failed states endlessly trumpets American exceptionalism as the world’s only indispensable country.

Amazing. If any electoral democracy is worse….let me know.

Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition, Glen Ellyn IL