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Will you support a measure to bring instant-runoff voting into the electoral process in order to increase third party participation in government while at the same time avoiding the so-called third party "spoiler" scenario, thus advancing the democratic process as a whole in the United States?
Asked by: Caleb Brown from Los Angeles, CA. Received 22 Votes.
Categories: Money & Politics. Tags: democracy · Election · Spoiler · Third Party · Two Party System.

Listen to: U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT)

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’re voting in a regular election. So that people have won runoffs getting fewer votes than they had coming second in a regular election. 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.

Answered on Aug 7th, 2008 More
Why do you think Americans and your constituents prefer our two party system over a legislature with multiple parties as in many other nations around the world? Why did or didn't you declare yourself as an independent?
Asked by: michael perigard from Seattle, WA. Received 19 Votes.
Categories: Campaign 2008. Tags: independents · parties.

Listen to: U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT)

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.

Answered on May 28th, 2008 More
Why do legislators always wait till the end of the year to appropriate tax dollars?
Asked by: elvin from Boston, MA. Received 16 Votes.
Categories: Economy · Regulation · Taxes.

Listen to: U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT)

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.

Answered on Jan 22nd, 2008 More
Do you feel drilling in Alaska would help our oil problems?
Asked by: krouseej from Washington, DC. Received 25 Votes.
Categories: Economy · Environment.

Listen to: U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT)

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.

Answered on Jan 22nd, 2008 More