American electoral process V's Irish process

dee_ee

Hi,

would anyone be able to tell me the basic differences between the American electoral process and the Irish one?? I am aware of a few but would like to find out more. Even some links you've come across regarding this topic??

Thanks

buynow

In Ireland the smaller parties are king makers, in America they are king breakers.

Manic Moran

Good lord, not asking for much, are you? I'll try to keep this incredibly brief.

To understand the differences in the electoral process, you first need to understand the differences in the governments. Ireland is a single, united country split, for convenience, into administrative divisions such as counties. The USA is a federation of fifty independent States (and a couple of hangers-on like DC or Puerto Rico) with their own governments, constitutions and laws. As a result, the President of the US is far less important to the average American than the Taoseach is to the average Irishman. What Arnold Schwarzenegger does is of far greater concern to me than what Barack Obama does.

Ireland uses the Single Transferrable Vote. A very good idea, if you ask me, but nobody in America has asked me. Means that whoever wins has at least partial support from the simple majority of the population. The US uses a non-transferrable vote plurality system: Whoever has the most votes, wins. End of. Often results in voting against someone you really don't want to get in, as opposed to voting for the person you do want to get in.

When it comes down to electing the national Head of Government, in Ireland you see which party has accumulated the most victories in constituencies. That party gets to be the one with the Taoseach. In the US, the party which has accumulated the most victories in Congressional House Districts gets to control the House, but it is completely irrelevant to who the President is. (It does, however, have a serious effect on just how much the President or Congress can get done). Each State gets two Senators, again, elected by simple plurality.

A common misconception amongst non-Americans is that the President should be the person who gets the most votes nationwide. Wrong. The President is the President of the United States, not the President of the People Who Live In The United States (Remember, the US is not one homogenous body). The people do not vote for President, the States do. On Presidential Election Day, the voters go out and vote to tell their States which person they want to become the President. The States then vote in accordance with the wishes of their people on a weighted basis in the Electoral College. Thus California has a much heftier weighting than Wyoming. It is not a 'perfect' weighting, either. In recognition of the fact that each State has an equal legal footing with each other State, the smaller States have a slightly greater per-capita weighting, to prevent them from being totally run roughshod by the larger States in the election.

That more or less what you are looking for?

NTM

Dannyboy83

Very interesting stuff MM.
I wasn't too sure about the bit of the states voting, thats cleared it up nicely tho, Thanks.

I've heard it was an Irishman developed that electoral process, any truth in that?

What do you think of Arnold Schwarzenegger, is he getting much done?

Manic Moran

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

I've heard it was an Irishman developed that electoral process, any truth in that?

Not inconceivable, but I honestly have no idea.

What do you think of Arnold Schwarzenegger, is he getting much done?

I like him. He's actually forcing the Democrats who have the majority in the California legislature to do some negotiating, whilst staying moderate. He is not afraid to use his veto, and has in effect given some voice to the 40+% of the State who don't vote Democrat. He's also far less beholden to special interest groups, as he's well wealthy enough on his own and was not reliant on outside funding for his campaigning. I'm not too happy with some of the things he's signed, I know some Democrats are not too happy with some of the things he's vetoed, so I guess that means he's about in the right place.

NTM

Dannyboy83

Hes is one of the most amazing, pragmatic people I've ever read about.
He succeeds at everything he turns his hand to seemingly.

Do you think he ever has a shot at being US President?
Given that he is probably the best option the Republicans have?

Now that Obama has made it, they may be more accepting.
Do you think its in any way likely that they would amend the constitution for him?

Has he given Franco Colombu a job yet?

Manic Moran

Do you think he ever has a shot at being US President?

No. The Constitution's not going to get changed for him.

NTM

acontadino

that was really really great info there. a good model for the future EU

turgon

One has to be born in the US to become president I believe.

dee_ee

thank you so much, its exactly what i needed!

Dr Galen

Manic Moran wrote: »

The USA is a federation of fifty independent States (and a couple of hangers-on like DC or Puerto Rico) with their own governments, constitutions and laws. As a result, the President of the US is far less important to the average American than the Taoseach is to the average Irishman. What Arnold Schwarzenegger does is of far greater concern to me than what Barack Obama does.

thats what always get me about the US. The sheer scale of it, its pretty much a load of little (and big) countries all working together within the Federal system. It's very easy to think of the US as a big France or something along those lines, when really AFAIK Texas on its own is the size of France, and if Cali was a country on its own it would be in top 10 GDP league table.