26092: Sharp: (Reply) 26042: Walton (thoughts) Does Haiti really want to be a "democracy?" (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: JONATHAN SHARP <flyingspinach@gmail.com>

There's an interesting twist on what you're saying that comes out of
the use of districts/states/departments. That is, when only a 2/3
majority of the legislature is required to change the constitution:
Suppose each of those house members wins with 60% of the vote. That
means that practically 40% of voters can successfully modify the
constitution through their representatives. Theoretically this can be
as low as a third. It's possible also for the same 33-40% to control
an even greater majority in the U.S. senate.

Considering the tendency of poor and rich to segregate geographically,
and the broader economy to create poor states and rich
states/departments, isn't it altogether conceivable that in a
representative democracy with districting a nonproductive minority
might vote itself handouts from the productive majority? Suddenly
majority-rule direct democracy doesn't look so bad.

So in conclusion, representative democracy is great but districting is retarded.

I also wonder if the handouts you mention would reduce the ability to
produce. If a tax is placed on business to, say, feed and educate
malnourished children in Cite Soleil, I would agree with you that the
incentive to run a business has decreased, but hasn't the ability to
produce increased?