Scholars Warn Outdated Constitution Has Put Democracy At Risk

[alang1216]

View attachment 830243

‘Tyranny of the Minority’ warns Constitution is dangerously outdated​

Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt urge institutional reforms, rejection of candidates who violate norms in ‘How Democracies Die’ follow-up​

The U.S. Constitution desperately needs updating, say Harvard government professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt.

“We have a very, very old constitution; in fact, the oldest written constitution in the world,” notes Ziblatt, the Eaton Professor of the Science of Government. “It was written in a pre-democratic era. It hasn’t been amended much compared to other democracies. As a result, we have these institutions in place that most other democracies got rid of over the course of the 20th century.”

In their new book “Tyranny of the Minority,” the comparative political scientists argue that these antiquated institutions, including the Electoral College, have protected and enabled an increasingly extremist GOP, which keeps moving farther to the right despite losing the popular vote in all but one of the last eight presidential elections. The scholars also survey governments worldwide for examples of democratizing reforms. And they draw from history in underscoring the dangers of our constitutional stasis.

Levitsky and Ziblatt’s 2018 bestseller, “How Democracies Die,” drew from global case studies to argue that Donald Trump represented a threat to core democratic principles, even flagging the possibility that he would refuse to cede power. Today, in light of the 2020 election — and the 147 Congressional Republicans who voted to overturn the results — the authors say it’s clear the threat is larger than Trump.

Much more at the link below...

Scholars warn of danger in an outdated Constitution

In "Tyranny of the Minority," Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt call for reforms in face of "radicalized" elements in GOP.

news.harvard.edu

I totally agree! What do you think?

I agree. Looking back at countries that were ruled by minorities and refused to change is scary: France in the late 1700's or Russia in the early 1900's for example.

 

[Kruska]

Scholars Warn Outdated Constitution Has Put Democracy At Risk​

I wholeheartedly agree - it's exactly on what lefty&Libs have been endlessly thriving upon.

However the real problem to me is not just an outdated constitution - but a FAKE Democracy.
And for a Fake Democracy the content of its constitution is basically irrelevant.

 

[Kruska]

I agree. Looking back at countries that were ruled by minorities and refused to change is scary: France in the late 1700's or Russia in the early 1900's for example.

None of the two - were a democracy. That's why the "fathers" of the USA wanted a democratic system - what does this have to do with an outdated US constitution?
A FAKE democracy is nothing else but a monarchy or an autocratic government - but allows for ALL sheep to vote every 4 years.

 

[westwall]

None of the two - were a democracy. That's why the "fathers" of the USA wanted a democratic system - what does this have to do with an outdated US constitution?
A FAKE democracy is nothing else but a monarchy or an autocratic government - but allows for ALL sheep to vote every 4 years.

Just doesn't allow the sheep to COUNT the ballots.

 

[Kruska]

Just doesn't allow the sheep to COUNT the ballots.

It doesn't allow the sheep to do anything - aside from voting every 4 years
BTW the election 2020 was run under the auspices of the Trump administration - not that of senile Biden.
As such if an election fraud was committed, it would have been due to the Trump administration not being able to guarantee and to oversee an election process

The 2024 election will be run under the auspices of the Biden administration

 

[alang1216]

None of the two - were a democracy. That's why the "fathers" of the USA wanted a democratic system - what does this have to do with an outdated US constitution?
A FAKE democracy is nothing else but a monarchy or an autocratic government - but allows for ALL sheep to vote every 4 years.

Is the US a democracy? Whenever I mention the Electoral College being undemocratic I'm reminded by those on the Right that the US is a Republic.

 

[2aguy]

Is the US a democracy? Whenever I mention the Electoral College being undemocratic I'm reminded by those on the Right that the US is a Republic.

We are a republic and we have the electoral college to protect smaller states from larger states.....

 

[alang1216]

We are a republic and we have the electoral college to protect smaller states from larger states.....

In other words, to protect l sparsely populated states from democracy. Or to put it a modern context, to protect Republicans from the unpopularity of their positions.

 

[2aguy]

In other words, to protect l sparsely populated states from democracy. Or to put it a modern context, to protect Republicans from the unpopularity of their positions.

No...to protect the smaller populations from becoming slaves.....the democrat party had blacks as slaves, and the founders created the electoral college to protect the smaller states from idiocy like that. Without the electoral college, assholes like you would have completely destroyed this country by now.

 

[Cellblock2429]

View attachment 830243

‘Tyranny of the Minority’ warns Constitution is dangerously outdated​

Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt urge institutional reforms, rejection of candidates who violate norms in ‘How Democracies Die’ follow-up​

The U.S. Constitution desperately needs updating, say Harvard government professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt.

“We have a very, very old constitution; in fact, the oldest written constitution in the world,” notes Ziblatt, the Eaton Professor of the Science of Government. “It was written in a pre-democratic era. It hasn’t been amended much compared to other democracies. As a result, we have these institutions in place that most other democracies got rid of over the course of the 20th century.”

In their new book “Tyranny of the Minority,” the comparative political scientists argue that these antiquated institutions, including the Electoral College, have protected and enabled an increasingly extremist GOP, which keeps moving farther to the right despite losing the popular vote in all but one of the last eight presidential elections. The scholars also survey governments worldwide for examples of democratizing reforms. And they draw from history in underscoring the dangers of our constitutional stasis.

Levitsky and Ziblatt’s 2018 bestseller, “How Democracies Die,” drew from global case studies to argue that Donald Trump represented a threat to core democratic principles, even flagging the possibility that he would refuse to cede power. Today, in light of the 2020 election — and the 147 Congressional Republicans who voted to overturn the results — the authors say it’s clear the threat is larger than Trump.

Much more at the link below...

Scholars warn of danger in an outdated Constitution

In "Tyranny of the Minority," Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt call for reforms in face of "radicalized" elements in GOP.

news.harvard.edu

I totally agree! What do you think?

/----/ Whatever it takes to guarantee democRATs win every election.

 

[westwall]

In other words, to protect l sparsely populated states from democracy. Or to put it a modern context, to protect Republicans from the unpopularity of their positions.

Correct. Too many dumb people gathering in one place shouldn't be able to dictate over the rest.

Morons, like you, forget that the Founders designed the COTUS to protect the MINORITY...from the majority.

 

[alang1216]

Correct. Too many dumb people gathering in one place shouldn't be able to dictate over the rest.

Morons, like you, forget that the Founders designed the COTUS to protect the MINORITY...from the majority.

That may have been true once but today it is the majority that is often under the thumb of the minority.

 

[cnm]

stopped reading when I got to this line: "In their new book “Tyranny of the Minority,” the comparative political scientists argue that these antiquated institutions, including the Electoral College, "

That's why the US government is today dysfunctional.

 

[cnm]

Of course you do. You're an anti-American piece of shit that hates the very principles on which this nation was founded. It only follows that you hate the Constitution itself, which is the ultimate expression of these divine principles, and will agree with anyone else who hates it, who hates this country.

Divine principles? Property owning white men rule, that principle?

 

[miketx]

More communists trying to destroy freedom. Folks, don't give up your guns.

 

[cnm]

Is the US a democracy?

Flawed.

U.S. remains a 'flawed democracy' in annual rankings​

14 Feb 2022 For the past six years, Americans have lived in a "flawed democracy," one dragged down by high levels of polarization and events like the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, according to an annual study of global democracy.​

 

[cnm]

In other words, to protect l sparsely populated states from democracy. Or to put it a modern context, to protect Republicans from the unpopularity of their positions.

Citizen. Please.

Remember where you are.


Too truthy...

 

[Kruska]

Is the US a democracy? Whenever I mention the Electoral College being undemocratic I'm reminded by those on the Right that the US is a Republic.

The USA like ALL other so called democracy's (aside from Switzerland) is a FAKE democracy.

 

[Auld Phart]

That's why the US government is today dysfunctional.

That's why the US government is today dysfunctional.

Electoral College has nothing to do with it, it's dysfunctional because the parties can't work together.

 

[Bob Blaylock]

Flawed.

U.S. remains a 'flawed democracy' in annual rankings​

14 Feb 2022 For the past six years, Americans have lived in a "flawed democracy," one dragged down by high levels of polarization and events like the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, according to an annual study of global democracy.​

If the U.S. can be described as a “flawed democracy”, then it only because it's not supposed to be a democracy at all, but a republic.