Political Reform :Do you have any good proposals?

[Question R24U]

This site has many whingers who dig out any excuse to attack those currently are in power but who give little thought to how the political system needs reforming. This site also has many thoughtful and experienced politically aware and balanced posters. I want real ideas for reform from the latter.

The ideas should indicate whether a referendum would be required, any costs and list pros and answer obvious cons.

Eg the Dail representation is currently one TD for 20,00
People. The constitution allows for 30,000 ie the dail could have 5
TDs fewer without a referendum. Save costs. But would result in fewer independents and smaller parties. Some constituencies would have to be merged. The obvious impediment is that a politician would have to decide to to it.

Any other ideas?

[dmc444]

Cut number of TDs from 166-120
Real Local Govt- Implement city goverment for all our main cities and give them fiscal raising powers.
Reform Leaders Questions- Allow backbenchers to ask ministers and Taoiseach questions.
Abolish the Senate

[Christine Murray]

halve the thirty year rule, they should not be in their dotage when information is released re cabinet decision-making.

[PetevonPete]

Systematically shot all Fianna Fail reprensentives and their families

[Question R24U]

Systematically shot all Fianna Fail reprensentives and their families

First idiot of the day. Note the name. Spelling and grammar not a strong point. Little originality in their user name or idea. Next.

[ivnryn]

I would increase constituency size. It would allow people to be represented by parties that more accurately reflect their choices.

For example, the rule could be that the average number of seats per constituency must be at least 5 with 3 seaters still being allowed in special cases.

Also, to prevent Tullymandering, it might be worth requiring that each constituency elects an odd number of people. (though this is not so important).

The larger constituencies would mean that some TDs would still focus on certain 'bases'. However, it allows other TDs to appeal to a larger area. The second group are less likely to be parish pump based, as they are less local.

Pros:
- better proportional representation
- reduction in parish pump effects (as TDs are less local)
- gerrymandering becomes even harder
- doesn't require a constitutional amendment, so easier to implement

Cons
- harder to canvas (larger area)
- may cost more to count (probably not a major issue)
- doesn't require a constitutional amendment so can be reversed easily
- would reduce the seats for FF and FG, so hard to get implemented

[Stakhanov]

Systematically shot all Fianna Fail reprensentives and their families

That's pretty sick.

I alway's thought a Minister for Planning would be a good idea in Ireland. As poor planning is probably the cause is most problems in ireland.

[FutureTaoiseach]

I have come to favour a reform of the electoral-system that would retain PR-STV and named-candidates, but with only single-seat constituencies. That would allow TDs to concentrate more on their role as national-legislators, rather than engaging excessively in the politics of the parish-pump in order to hold off rivals within the local-party. It is a scandal that both houses of the Oireachtas sit only 93 days a year. The multi-seat situation provides an excuse for dossing rather than legislating and contributing to Oireactas business. Spending 75% of the year on holiday is a monument to FF's contempt for the toils of the plain people of Ireland who are losing their jobs, their homes, and their life-savings while the the former swan off to Florida on junkets dressed up as "fact-finding missions" a la FÁS. I also advocate a US-style Congressional primary system for Dail Eireann candidates, so that public-opinion feeds more directly into party-policy - particularly with respect to working-class opinion, which is woefully unrepresented there at present. The elites need to realise they are elected to represent all classes of the Irish people - not just middle-class liberal South Dubliners and the Irish Times. Cut the Oireachtas holiday to 3 months a year rather than the present 274 days, while simultaneously cutting their salary from €100,000 to €50,000. The recession has proven they are are not earning their crust.

[ivnryn]

I have come to favour a reform of the electoral-system that would retain PR-STV and named-candidates, but with only single-seat constituencies.

You mean like the President is elected? They use that in Australia, and they have a de facto 2 party system (one of the 2 parties is technically a permenent coalition, one half of the coalition runs only in rural constituencies and the other half in urban districts).

There are other options, though if you must have single seater constituencies. For example, mixed member plurality and an idea from the US called Fair majority voting.

In any case, single seaters means that all parties bar FF and FG would be wiped out. Lab might be able to hang on like the Lib Dems in the UK, if they focused on certain parts of the country.

[Seán E. Ryan]

Abolish the party system and criminalise it:

1. Independents know where their next meal is coming from so are less likely to misrepresent those who vote for them.
2. Parties rule their members via the whip at the expense of democracy and representation.
3. Ending party politics would stop the inheritance system whereby generations vote for gimps solely because they belong to a group that they believe may have stood for something at some indeterminate time in the past, as opposed to voting for someone who actually represents them.
4. Party politics is naturally a damage limiting system. The bad can be offset by the good (good propaganda that is). Independants don't have this luxury and it prevents the system from weeding out the corrupt, the useless and the broken.

There are many more good reasons to abolish and criminalise the party system. There are few if any reasons to allow its continued existence.