Latest Answers http://askyourlawmaker.org/answers/latest/303/%2A/%2A/%2A a view of answers sorted by date en <p>One of the problems you have if your goals is democracy is usually runoffs, the history of runoffs, is they produce less people voting in a runoff elections than we&rsquo;re voting in a regular election. So that people have won runoffs getting fewer votes than they had coming second in a regular election.&nbsp; So if your goal is actually expanding the so called democratic process, runoff elections both in the United States and France have not demonstrated they actually do that. You got to come up with a better way than that.</p> http://askyourlawmaker.org/answers/%2526lt%3Bp%2526gt%3Bone-problems-you-have-if-your-goals-democracy-usually-runoffs%2C-history-runoffs%2C-the http://askyourlawmaker.org/answers/%2526lt%3Bp%2526gt%3Bone-problems-you-have-if-your-goals-democracy-usually-runoffs%2C-history-runoffs%2C-the#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:38:08 -0500 amukherjee 1534 at http://askyourlawmaker.org The two party system is a bi-product of the system we have right now, the fact that we have single member districts where one person is elected will always result in a two party system, it does in other countries as well. The constitution was designed with no parties in mind and can function with one, or two or multi or no parties whatsoever, as long as you have separation of powers and federalism securely in place. We are mucking around with federalism and separation of powers to the point that it doesn’t help. But whether there are two parties or multiple parties is really insignificant and it is a bi-product of the system we have created by statute of a single representative elected from a district. If you change that you’ll change the number of parties, whether that is more helpful or not is probably insignificant. http://askyourlawmaker.org/answers/two-party-system-bi-product-system-we-have-right-now%2C-fact-we-have-single-member-districts-w Wed, 28 May 2008 11:49:42 -0500 amukherjee 1324 at http://askyourlawmaker.org This last year was the worst year I have ever seen for pushing things off to the end. And part of it was an effort on the part of leadership to attach non-germaine issues that were very controversial to pieces of legislation that were not controversial. So I really think it was a lack of organization this past year. http://askyourlawmaker.org/answers/last-year-was-worst-year-i-have-ever-seen-pushing-things-end.-and-part-it-was-effort-part-le Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:20:23 -0600 975 at http://askyourlawmaker.org If our goal is to be energy self-sufficient, we do need to have conservation standards but that won’t solve it. We also have to develop the resources that we have both alternative as well as carbon and ANWR is an essential part of that. So if you don’t drill in ANWR there is no way you can ever come up with enough “stuff” to make us energy self-sufficient. http://askyourlawmaker.org/answers/if-our-goal-be-energy-self-sufficient%2C-we-do-need-have-conservation-standards-won%E2%80%99t-solve-it Tue, 22 Jan 2008 12:51:02 -0600 971 at http://askyourlawmaker.org