As a result of its good works, the 112th Congress was the least popular since pollsters began keeping score. According to the Gallup Organization, the 112th’s approval rating fell to 10 percent in February 2011 and again in August that year. Those are the lowest readings in Gallup’s 38 years of surveying. When another polling firm, Rasmussen, asked Americans in March 2011 how they’d feel about the U.S. turning into a communist country, 11 percent said they’d approve. So congratulations, 112th: You were, at multiple points, less popular than communism.
I don't approve or disprove of Congress, Since they represent the districts that elect them and therefore any douchbagy stuff they pull is just an extension of that districts people. I disapprove of those people who keep electing the morons.
I don't approve or disprove of Congress, Since they represent the districts that elect them and therefore any douchbagy stuff they pull is just an extension of that districts people. I disapprove of those people who keep electing the morons.
Well, it's kind of artificially skewed due to Gerrymandering as well. The House of Representatives kinda sorta does represent the districts that elect its members, but only just barely and only due to creative drawing of those districts.
There definitely needs to be some sort of redistricting reform.
Regardless of Gerrymandering, those officials were elected by a majority % of voting people in that district. The district that keeps electing Michelle Bachmann, has had a choice multiple times, but keeps electing her. Those who live there and don't vote and didn't realize their mistake 2 years later are just as bad.
I would like to see computerized redistricting that only factors town lines and population when drawing districts. It can have a 10% tolerance for population inequality among neighboring districts if that is required to make the system work without creating districts that look like spilled liquid.
I would like to see computerized redistricting that only factors town lines and population when drawing districts. It can have a 10% tolerance for population inequality among neighboring districts if that is required to make the system work without creating districts that look like spilled liquid.
Combine that with a non-partisan redistricting board (as a check and balance against tweaking the computer inputs/formulas/etc.) and we'd have a winner. Gerrymandering is something both parties have done in the past, albeit it's more apparent with the GOP now because there are enough Republicans in power at the state level relative to the number of Democrats at the state level to give them the advantage at this point in time.
Massachusetts' recent redistricting actually does a pretty job of at least looking like it was drawn up fairly. I don't know the exact demographics to know if it succeeded or not, however.
You know what would push reform faster than anything? Fix our congressional procedures.
All votes should be digital and public immediately. Hand/voice votes should be banned. Parliamentary procedural issues should be digital as well, and it should be a criminal offense to violate them (e.g., "not hearing" a point of order from the floor).
The disposition of all bills should be public in real time. If a bill is held in a committee, that should be clear. If an individual has held a bill back within a committee, that information should be attached to the bill. The full list of bills the speaker of the house has refused to bring to the floor should be public in real time.
The congressional procedural record should be fully electronic, live, public, and recorded for posterity. All hand/voice points of order or other procedural actions should be banned and replaced with digital interactions.
Scary thing is that we're half way there already. A lot of the vote tabulation is already done electronically. A CSPAN covers a lot of the debate, etc., already as well. Doing what else Rym suggests should be a fairly trivial extension of what's there already anyway.
The only excuse for any committee, etc., meeting in Congress to not be public is if it involves national security issues, but that's the only case where it's acceptable. Everything else should be public. At the very least, if instead of having digital keypads for every procedure, there is no reason not to have digital audio/video archiving of all the various legislative sausage making that goes on.
The disposition of all bills should be public in real time. If a bill is held in a committee, that should be clear. If an individual has held a bill back within a committee, that information should be attached to the bill. The full list of bills the speaker of the house has refused to bring to the floor should be public in real time.
The congressional procedural record should be fully electronic, live, public, and recorded for posterity.
He acted like every conspiracy nut I've ever met, I would like to note that the kid I argue with on Facebook who is as crazy as they come says Alex Jones is a tool.... So maybe there is hope for him.
He acted like every conspiracy nut I've ever met, I would like to note that the kid I argue with on Facebook who is as crazy as they come says Alex Jones is a tool.... So maybe there is hope for him.
There's plenty of conspiracy nuts who hate a lot of the famous conspiracy nuts, as they think they're false flag operations to either throw us off the trail of "the truth", or to make all conspiracy theorists seem like crazy people.
He acted like every conspiracy nut I've ever met, I would like to note that the kid I argue with on Facebook who is as crazy as they come says Alex Jones is a tool.... So maybe there is hope for him.
Did he blame shootings on SHMUPS? I don't think he knows what those are...
Comments
There definitely needs to be some sort of redistricting reform.
Massachusetts' recent redistricting actually does a pretty job of at least looking like it was drawn up fairly. I don't know the exact demographics to know if it succeeded or not, however.
All votes should be digital and public immediately. Hand/voice votes should be banned. Parliamentary procedural issues should be digital as well, and it should be a criminal offense to violate them (e.g., "not hearing" a point of order from the floor).
The disposition of all bills should be public in real time. If a bill is held in a committee, that should be clear. If an individual has held a bill back within a committee, that information should be attached to the bill. The full list of bills the speaker of the house has refused to bring to the floor should be public in real time.
The congressional procedural record should be fully electronic, live, public, and recorded for posterity. All hand/voice points of order or other procedural actions should be banned and replaced with digital interactions.
The only excuse for any committee, etc., meeting in Congress to not be public is if it involves national security issues, but that's the only case where it's acceptable. Everything else should be public. At the very least, if instead of having digital keypads for every procedure, there is no reason not to have digital audio/video archiving of all the various legislative sausage making that goes on.
Typical Alex Jones style - Just yell and don't let the other guy get more than a word or two in, then claim victory. He's just completely nuts.