There is another perspective that better explains why party-based
systems create a demand for re-distribution.
Political parties have two compelling needs: Money to finance their
operations and voters to put their candidates in office. Their ability
to generate these vital resources comes from their power to legislate ...
* Money to finance their campaigns
The financiers who provide the money required to conduct party
operations demand legislation that gives them an advantage. They supply
enough money to enough parties to ensure their agenda is met.
The Broadband Conduit Deployment Act of 2009, or H.R. 2428, is an
example of the result:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.2428: Broadband Conduit
Deployment Act
This bill requires that highway and rail projects funded by the
government also lay conduit capable of carrying fiber optic cables.
There is no provision in the bill for the communications industry to
bear any portion of the costs imposed by the act, including the
continuing cost of maintenance. Instead, our debt-ridden governments -
and our people - are saddled with costs that should be borne by the
communications industry. This is but one of a multitude of such laws,
purchased with political 'contributions'.
* Voters to put them in office.
Political parties propose and oversee the enactment of laws, couched in
terms of humanity, that use public funds to attract voters. These laws
do not result from public outcry, they are invented by politicians to
attract voters.
When the definition of public issues and the selection of candidates for
public office is controlled by parties, it is not surprising that
offering largess attracts votes. Greece and Ireland and Portugal and
Italy stand in stark evidence of the success of this strategm - and its
dire consequences.
* Summary
Partisanship is natural and healthy. Unfortunately, it is a
double-edged sword. It is an essential part of the evolution of
society, but it is also the root of the evils of party politics.
Partisanship is a critical element in democratic government, The ebb
and flow of public attitudes, as they change with time, must be captured
and integrated into public policy. That is best done by the dynamic
formation of interest groups. However, the groups, themselves, are not
important - and the ideas they espouse are not sacrosanct.
The challenge of democracy is to ensure the various perspectives are
heard, examined, and honed to serve the common interest. The only valid
purpose for discussing Electoral Methods is to seek ways to accomplish
this goal.
There are attempts to improve government going on in several places in
the world. We have an obligation to describe the obstacles we've
encountered with our systems, even when those difficulties flow from the
defects of partisan politics, so those struggling with embryonic systems
can avoid them.
Fred Gohlke
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