How the Election and Government System of the United States Works

[TheOtakuMaid]

After discussing it with a person on here who I will not name who kept calling our system a "direct democracy" I have realized many people even on here are idiots and so I shall educate you to the best of my ability on how your government functions. So sit down kiddos, pull up a chair and snack because you are about to learn something.

First, we shall discuss the branches of our government. Our government is categorized as a few things. We are a presidential system (we have a president), the Federal Republic (the Federal government which over sees all has members who represent each state and in turn you) and so we are a Republic (Constitutional Republic). That shiny piece of paper that holds the amendments and such protects rights and is what Congress goes off of and finally a Liberal Democracy. Liberal democracy is a liberal political ideology and a form of government in which representative democracy operates under the principles of classical liberalism. It is also called western democracy.

Those are the base ideas, now onto the actual Branch system.

The Executive Branch

The power of the Executive Branch is vested in the President of the United States, who also acts as head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The President is responsible for implementing and enforcing the laws written by Congress and, to that end, appoints the heads of the federal agencies, including the Cabinet. The Vice President is also part of the Executive Branch, ready to assume the Presidency should the need arise.

The Cabinet and independent federal agencies are responsible for the day-to-day enforcement and administration of federal laws. These departments and agencies have missions and responsibilities as widely divergent as those of the Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Social Security Administration and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Including members of the armed forces, the Executive Branch employs more than 4 million Americans.

The President

The President is both the head of state and head of government of the United States of America and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. Under Article II of the Constitution, the President is responsible for the execution and enforcement of the laws created by Congress. Fifteen executive departments — each led by an appointed member of the President's Cabinet — carry out the day-to-day administration of the federal government. They are joined in this by other executive agencies such as the CIA and Environmental Protection Agency, the heads of which are not part of the Cabinet, but who are under the full authority of the President.

The President also appoints the heads of more than 50 independent federal commissions, such as the Federal Reserve Board or the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as federal judges, ambassadors, and other federal offices. The Executive Office of the President (EOP) consists of the immediate staff but who are under the full authority of the President, along with entities such as the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

The President has the power either to sign the legislation into law or to veto bills enacted by Congress, although Congress may override a veto with a two-thirds vote of both houses. The Executive Branch conducts diplomacy with other nations, and the President has the power to negotiate and sign treaties, which also must be ratified by two-thirds of the Senate. The President can issue executive orders, which direct executive officers or clarify and further existing laws. The President also has unlimited power to extend pardons and clemencies for federal crimes, except in cases of impeachment.

The President is elected through these cunts, The Electoral College.

The Electoral College is a group of people that elect the president and the vice president of the United States. (The word “college” in this case simply refers to an organized body of people engaged in a common task.)

As voters head to the polls they will not vote for the presidential candidates directly, in a popular vote. Instead, they will vote to elect specific people, known as “electors” to the college. Each state gets a certain number of electoral votes based on its population. The electors are appointed by the political parties in each state, so if you voted for Donald J. Trump and Mr. Trump ends up winning the popular vote in your state, then electors that the Republican Party has chosen will cast votes for him in their state capitals. The electors are asked to cast their votes on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December. But most people don’t pay attention to that because, technically, it’s the election of the electors that matters. And on Election Day, we’re electing the electors who elect the president.

So in short to that Idiot who sparked me writing all this, we are not a "direct democracy." A direct democracy would be for example lets say you are a pirate on a pirate ship.

You see a high valued Spanish galleon heavily armed. It's about a 50/50 shot that you take it without being sunk. Since you are the captain, all get a cut. Lets say the captain offers a vote. Each vote means 1 vote. The crew and the captain collectively decide on that vote, if you go and try and sink it or let it leave instead. That's a Direct Democracy. No officials or representatives. Just you and one vote. If that's how our system was run, Hillary probably would have won. But she did not due to how the electoral college functions.

In more detail:

The Electoral College is made up of 538 electors who cast votes to decide the President and Vice-President of the United States. When voters go to the polls on Tuesday, they will be choosing which candidate receives their state’s electors. The candidate who receives a majority of electoral votes (270) wins the Presidency. The number 538 is the sum of the nation’s 435 Representatives, 100 Senators, and 3 electors given to the District of Columbia.

How does the Electoral College work?

Every four years, voters go to the polls and select a candidate for President and Vice-President. In all but two states, the candidate who wins the majority of votes in a state wins that state’s electoral votes. In Nebraska and Maine, electoral votes are assigned by proportional representation, meaning that the top vote-getter in those states wins two electoral votes (for the two Senators) while the remaining electoral votes are allocated congressional district by congressional district. These rules make it possible for both candidates to receive electoral votes from Nebraska and Maine, unlike the winner-take-all system in the other 48 states.

It's a bit more Complex and since I don't want to bore you and still have two more branches I will link the source here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/what-is-the-electoral-college_n_2078970.html

Now onto the Judicial Branch.

The judicial branch is one of three branches of the federal government. The judicial branch includes criminal and civil courts and helps interpret the United States Constitution. If the federal government were like a basketball game, the judicial branch is much like the referee that helps settle disputes. The executive branch and the legislative branch are often like the players in the game trying to score points against each other, and the judicial branch is there to clarify the rules and make sure each side is acting fairly. The judicial branch is able to do this through its special power known as judicial review and as part of the process of checks and balances between the three branches of government.

The main body of the judicial branch is the Supreme Court. It is the top court in the United States, and no other court can challenge it. The main job of the Supreme Court is to interpret the Constitution. Like being a referee when two players cry foul, it is the Supreme Court's job to decide who is correct.

There are nine justices who sit on the Supreme Court. The odd number of justices is meant to reduce the chances of ties during cases, and thus for the Supreme Court to decide a case, they simply need a majority of justices to agree.

Being a justice on the Supreme Court is a prestigious and powerful position. Not only is their job important, but once they are officially appointed and confirmed, they serve for life. Supreme Court justices never have to run for re-election or seek re-appointment. This gives them a lot of freedom to do the job as they see fit without consequences. In addition to the Supreme Court, the judicial branch is made up of lower courts. These courts serve under the Supreme Court and help manage the workload. There are simply too many cases in the court system for the Supreme Court to hear them all, so these other courts help. The Supreme Court then handles the most important cases.

Checks and Balances

The three branches of the federal government each have the ability to keep the others from getting too powerful. In other words, each branch helps balance against the other branches by checking their powers.

The other branches of the government can check the judicial branch through the nomination and appointment process. The actual people who make up the judicial branch, the judges, and justices, must be nominated by the executive branch and approved by the legislative branch. This gives the other branches of government an important say in what kind of people will work for the judicial branch. This is a very important process, especially since these justices serve for life.

Additionally, under extreme circumstances, the legislative branch may remove members of the judicial branch through a process known as impeachment. While this has only occurred rarely and has never occurred with a Supreme Court justice, it still represents the ability of the legislative branch to balance against the powers of the judicial branch.

The most interesting part of this is since the judicial branch interprets the Constitution they can set precedent cases, like gay marriage. Though there is an argument that such acts go beyond their allowed power as they cannot set laws. You can read more here. http://study.com/academy/lesson/judicial-branch-of-government-definition-role-power.html

Now onto the final branch, the most corrupt and power hungry of all: Congress.

The legislative branch is made up of the two houses of Congress—the Senate and the House of Representatives. The most important duty of the legislative branch is to make laws. Laws are written, discussed and voted on in Congress. There are 100 senators in the Senate, two from each state. Senators are elected by their states and serve six-year terms. The Vice President of the U.S. is considered the head of the Senate but does not vote in the Senate unless there is a tie. The Senate approves nominations made by the President to the Cabinet, the Supreme Court, federal courts and other posts. The Senate must ratify all treaties by a two-thirds vote.

There are 435 representatives in the House of Representatives. The number of representatives each state gets is based on its population. For example, California has many more representatives than Rhode Island. When census figures determine that the population of a state has changed significantly, the number of representatives in that state may shift proportionately. Representatives are elected by their states and serve two-year terms. The Speaker of the House, elected by the representatives, is considered the head of the House.

Both parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives elect leaders. The leader of the party that controls the house is called the majority leader. The other party leader is called the minority leader. See more here https://www.factmonster.com/us/government-primer/three-branches-government

That basically sums up our Governments workings. Let's see you learn that in school, I most certainly did not.

Though it's far more complicated than what I just stated, do you want to know the hilarious part of it? Thomas Jefferson, a founding father, either he or Benjamin Franklin recommended overthrowing the government in 200 years as it would already be full and rotten of corruption. Even the founders who made this system knew it would not last for long. And what do we do? Turn the foundation blue prints into the bible and not build off it or change it when needed. We even go so far as to go against all of their founding ideals.

George Washington warned in his Presidential letter after his 8 terms when he was leaving of the threat of party systems and to not fall into party politics. In fact, our whole Democrat and Republican system goes against all he stood for. He also warned the issues of getting involved in foreign affairs like the middle east. Of course your officials would never mention that as it goes against their entire actions at this point.

That's the True irony. We solidify their words as Holy when it suits us. We place "in God, we trust" on our money when they were deists and the few who were Christian would have been against such action. We forget their true ideals and yet call them our founding fathers and treat them like Prophets. The government of America is full of hypocrisy and rotten to the core. If you wish to fix your government, to make it "great again" you must burn it to the ground and re-build over it. As no amount of amending will fix a system they knew would fail.

It is why I take interest in other nations more. It's why I have Otaku in my username. I as someone who agrees and truly understands the founding father's ideals and wishes am disgusted by the current state of things. By the people who run it in claim and service of the people when fucking them under the table for self-gain. I am disgusted by the stupidity of you the people for allowing such actions to happen right in front of you, while other nations hold corruption I can say a lot of them are still for the people. Their people.

Make no mistake if I had the power I would burn this entire place to the ground and hand the keys to Russia or China as at least with their corruption comes progress and some benefit to its people

and one day my vision will become reality you can place bets on that...

Anyhow, I hope that this take has educated you on how this system functions.

Good day.

[cinderelli]

I knew most of it even tho I am not an American.. but I bet Trump doesn't know shit even tho he pretends to be a patriot.. ok there might be some inaccurate information in there.. (very very little) but still you're a 17 yo and I am sure you know more about the system than some people who are in their seventies.. or who are 51 in particular.. if you know what I mean ;P

[cinderelli]

thanks for MHO

[bingbaddaboom]

The concise answer:

It doesn't work.

[TheOtakuMaid]

I love those two dislikes on your comment. when as I stated even the founding fathers said it would not work. this was just supposed to be a temporary foundation that we build upon not enshrine it like it's from God and never improve it

[bingbaddaboom]

Yeah... don't get my wrong man. America is a great country by many aspects but the government is a broken machine. In my opinion, that's mostly due to the fact that the Federal Reserve and the U. S. Government are one and the same. Politicians, bankers, economists, lobbyists and etc. etc. would never admit that but it's the truth. The downfall of this country began in earnest in 1971 when the gold standard ceased to exist.

"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered... I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies... The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs." -Thomas Jefferson

[Bezbozhnikustanka]

The trouble with the gold standard is it encourages gold minding, the minding companies are guilty of genocide, they drive hunter gatherers off their land and the run off contaminates rivers with mercury, people eats the fish and are poisoned, god minding should be banned, we have more than enough gold bars.

[bingbaddaboom]

@Bezbozhnikustanka Sure, and if you were to peg the dollar to some other commodity of value there would still be unethical practice involved. Everyone wants to believe that we can live in some utopia. It's wishful thinking but that will never be the case.

[OlderAndWiser]

A 17 year old wants to give us a civics lesson and says, "The President is elected through these cunts, The Electoral College." Yes, you have me hanging on every word!

Your understanding if the allocation of the work load in the federal courts is absolutely wrong! Horribly, horribly wrong! You are misinforming people with this myTake.

"When census figures determine that the population of a state has changed significantly, the number of representatives in that state may shift proportionately." No, the house of representatives has a reapportionment every ten years, following the decennial census, regardless of the size of the population shifts.

Jefferson never said that the people should rebel after 200 years. What he did suggest is that the spirit of rebellion helps to ensure that our liberties are preserved.

George Washington served as president for two terms, not eight.

In his farewell address, Washington stated that the people have the right to alter the government to meet their needs, but should only do so through constitutional amendments. Ironic that you criticize politicians for quoting the founding fathers only when it suits their purpose.

I have never seen any accurate and reliable quote of the founders in which they expressed the belief that the government they were creating would fail.

When you are young, it is easier to criticize and call for revolution than it is to be responsible and to seek change. That is simply the unbridled folly of youth.

You have the right to express your beliefs but if you call for things to be burned, you may be guilty of inciting riot or at least inciting arson. Suggesting that our enemies should be given control of the country is treasonous. I am hoping that the FBI already has a file on you and that they will watch you closely.

[Rissyanne]

Great response!

[TheOtakuMaid]

he served two terms which is about 8 years, 4 years each. and allow me to quote

We need a revolution every 200 years, because all governments become stale and corrupt after 200 years.” – Ben Franklin

[TheOtakuMaid]

and I said it was either Jefferson or Ben Franklin who said the quote

as for what George Washington said is in his final address if you care to read it

also i gave sources for my information if you wish to link sources of your own of how it "really works" then go ahead but your word itself means nothing to me

[TheOtakuMaid]

also "enemies" we are our own enemies. we are the only enemy worth dealing with. again we are corrupt. the founding fathers knew this system would not last permanently. they each had a different idea on how this would turn out and getting 13 colonies to agree on anything was a bitch.

[TheOtakuMaid]

in his farewell address he also stated don't fall into a party system and get involved in foreign affairs we already broke both of those.

They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security. - Ben franklin. we already broke that one

really we have gone against every idea they have stated, if they would see us now they would over throw us. well they would probably fail but still its the idea that counts

[TheOtakuMaid]

lastly. no treason is the only crime in the united states that can only be acted upon if the acting party say's "this is treason" and has at least two witnesses present. so i am quite fine. as for the last statement. treason is what our government does now to its people. mine would not be treason but the morally right course of action.

[OlderAndWiser]

"George Washington warned in his Presidential letter after his 8 terms" If you meant 8 years, you should have said 8 years or 2 terms. When you presume to teach others, you must not give false information.

Since you find some solace in the Franklin quote, let me give you another Franklin gem: "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain - and most fools do."

[TheOtakuMaid]

oh my bad after read reading it i did say 8 terms.

[TheOtakuMaid]

yes any fool can criticize condemn and complain. yet it also takes that to get anything going. do you know how our revolution came about? from drunk land owners getting pissed about taxes and such and hanging out in bars drinking. and while you call my age a folly on its own the founding fathers were in their 20s when they took action they were not old men then. so while youth is folly you can still get things done

[TheOtakuMaid]

it takes enough fools bitching for anything to change. and doing the write kind of bitching. I didn't simply say this government is shit. no, I gave an in-depth explanation of how it works. and cited the sources for how each branch works. I may not have cited the electoral college one, however. I personally see the current system as a blight and a compleat and utter insult to what the founding fathers built. but again if you want to continue along with collapsing infrastructure corrupted politicians. constant crusades in lesser nations. the slow disarmament of our people. and continuation of Jobs being taken to other countries. and being taxed up the ass and not truly knowing where that money is going as it sure ain't going to the collapsing bridges.

then be my guest. i am hopping off the Titanic before it his something. nor do i intend to stick around for any revolution as those who start it never finish it.

[TheOtakuMaid]

@Rissyanne this was just a mytake I made late at night explaining how our glorious empire functions and my opinion on its current stasis. if you want to deny its current blight and keep bowing to the flag that's your call bro. your children and family, not mine. I just felt the need to point it out. ^-^ Ciao

[Rissyanne]

While you are calling people idiots and cunts...

[TheOtakuMaid]

@Rissyanne i called the electoral college cunts. i never once insulted older on this post at least

[TheOtakuMaid]

@Rissyanne nope and never once called him an idiot either. i just re read my statement

[Rissyanne]

You said that people on here were idiots

[TheOtakuMaid]

@Rissyanne yes well people, in general, are idiots. the more people you add to a group the lower the general IQ go's that's just psychology

[Rissyanne]

You are such a charmer

[Rissyanne]

I bet you even take the dishes out of the sick before you pee in it.

[TheOtakuMaid]

At the age of 51 I would expect you to know these Truths?

:3

[Rissyanne]

I kinda thought you could take a joke...

[bingbaddaboom]

People in this country are too comfortable and/or too divided to come together to challenge the current paradigm. A country often collapses from the inside, not from the outside. The clock is ticking.

[Rissyanne]

@bingbaddaboom ok dude you work on that

[bingbaddaboom]

@Rissyanne LMAO it's already in the works, you can only print so much money before it's worthless. You and I don't have to do anything Rissypoo.

[COCOCHANEL]

glad someome knows the facts

[BlueEyesWD]

Agreed!

[Intraluminal]

You're hoping the FBI is out keeping a file on a 17 y. o. for talking through his hat?

[OlderAndWiser]

@Intraluminal I will admit that was a bit of hyperbole and frustration!

[FreedomByChoice]

''Suggesting that our enemies should be given control of the country is treasonous''

thats funny considering the government is its own enemy.

[FreedomByChoice]

and may not have had his facts straight, but there DEFINITELY is something wrong with our modern political systems and people being angry about corruption is completely warranted. if you stand with corruption, then you are an enemy.

[OlderAndWiser]

@FreedomByChoice Give me a damned break. I didn't say a word in defense of corruption and I have no time for your brand of nonsense.

[TheOtakuMaid]

@FreedomByChoice lol their not my facts they are fact tell me the three branches of government dont work that way and why the electoral collage does not either?

[DanoMR98]

The electoral college was put in place by the founding fathers on purpose.

It was there so that NYC, LA & Chicago don't decide the election for everyone in the country. There was a big debate about this. It's why we have the house and the senate. It was the Great Compromise of 1787. If not for that, people in California would be ruling the whole country. There'd be no reason for a state like mine to even stay in the union!

I'll tell you how to fix the govt. Shrink it until it can fit into your pocket. We are stuck in a mess because FDR made the federal govt WAAAAY too big.

[TheOtakuMaid]

i agree. i think we should split it off in different sections and just have a EU similar system. where the Federal government just manages but each section makes its own rules so long as they follow a certain set of principles. kind of like now only federal law would not overrule state

[DanoMR98]

Not only that, but the Federal Reserve and IRS have to go completely. No baby in those institutions, just bathwater. The federal government needs to leave Bitcoin/altcoins and gold/silver alone as well.

[TheOtakuMaid]

um the federal reserve has been dead along time ago. they probably ran it dry and pocketed it by now and fuck the IRS anyway. i see taxation without knowing where each dollar goes from my wallet as Tyrannical

[RegularTK421]

A direct democracy wouldn't elect any representatives. We would vote directly on legislation and laws concerning our nation. Direct democracy was instituted in some Greek city states during certain periods of time. No system of government can ever be perfect, because ultimately it is ran by people. Also, everyone disagrees on what "perfect" would mean. I appreciate everything the United States has achieved, and what it provides us with. There are countries that can not even feed their people, or provide basic hygiene. Life will never be perfectly fair, and to believe that tearing down the U. S government would somehow make life better, is extremely shortsighted. Good luck feeding 319 million people and keeping order without a strong central government. Not to mention how many millions would die from the economic collapse and other critical resource shortages. You can always vote with your feet, and move outside of the United States if you think it is that terrible.

[TheOtakuMaid]

yet it won't last. it will eventually fall apart and split. we have already had a civil war within 200 years. and we will definitely have one soon. at least a political war than a physical. some of the founding fathers themselves did not see this system as a permanent structure or one that would even last long. the only choice is to attempt to mend it or wait for it to fall into different pieces like the ancient roman empire

[RegularTK421]

@TheOtakuMaid Nations rise and fall. I have no doubt that when looking at history, the United States will not be permanent. Egypt, Babylon, India, China, Rome, Macedonia, etc all were great and went through periods of collapse. When Rome collapsed, Europe went through the dark ages. Believing that the United States would be better off if it's government collapsed is a complete detachment from reality. We have a well oiled economic machine that more than meets everyone's basic needs. There will be no internet, no steady power grid, food shortages, crime, murder, and mass death all across the nation. You look at nations today with weak or failed governments and they are complete shit holes. Liberia, Somalia, and Haiti are 3 of the worst countries to live in. In contrast, other small countries are very wealthy and prosperous, such as Kuwait, Singapore and Bahrain. I hope to never see the government collapse, despite any of it's flaws.

[TheOtakuMaid]

well yes, no nation is permanent but some nations last longer than others. Egypt China. Rome. all lasted a good amount of time. ours will be lucky to see 500 years. after all ancient Rome's republic only lasted 500 before it went to a tyranny. if we want it to see 500+ changes must be made otherwise we may become a fractioned group of nations like Europe

[Bezbozhnikustanka]

Life cold be a heck of a lot fairer though. Why were Donald Trump, Kim Kardashian and Chevy Chase born into rich families whilst others were born to share cropers, cleaners and factory hands? My country's just as bad, The Queen, The Duke Of Westminster and Boris Johnson were born rich, but not me, I hate capitalism, I wish The Soviet Union had won the Cold War.

[TheOtakuMaid]

@Bezbozhnikustanka communism is far far worse. and never works. my problem is not that Aristocrats exist. its that they don't do their Job. the jobs of Aristocrats are the management of those below them. there is a reason they are born into power is that a certain honor and responability should follow

[Bezbozhnikustanka]

I hate the aristocracy with a vengeance. Why were they born noble, why was I born a pleb? The Hindus believe I deserve to be misseriable and dukes and earls deserve to be happy because poor people were bad and rich people were good in a past life, I'm an atheist, rich people are greedy bastards, I want to kill every millionaire on the planet.

[TheOtakuMaid]

@Bezbozhnikustanka allow me to give you a quote taken from the anime Code Geass. I advise you watch it if you hate monarchies

"All men are not created equal. Some are born smarter, or more beautiful or with parents of greater status. Some, by contrast, are born weak of body or of mind, or with few, if any, talents. All men are different. Yes, the very existence of man is discriminatory! That is why there is war, violence and unrest. Inequality is not evil. Equality is!
What became of the EU that claimed all are equal? It is in constant conflict because its tenets go against human nature! The Middle Eastern Federation, which harbors similar sentiments, is constantly mired in sloth. But our Britannia is not like them! We put an end to wars and evolve with every conquest! Britannia alone looks forward and moves toward a better future.
The death of my son Clovis is yet more proof that our empire is evolving. Fight! For the future rests in the hands of its rulers! All hail Britannia!"

[Bezbozhnikustanka]

Meanwhile, those of us who actually live in the real world are preparing for "The Glorious Day" when our Red Guards sweep away the Class Enemies of the proletariat the way a broom sweeps away dust.

[jacquesvol]

"There are countries that can not even feed their people, or provide basic hygiene."
"According to the USDA, more than one in seven American households – 49 million individuals, including 12 million children – struggles to have enough to eat. "
www.loavesfishes.org/.../

[jacquesvol]

@RegularTK421

[RegularTK421]

@jacquesvol We have food banks and food stamps. Not to mention plenty of opportunities and resources. Probably just addicts who sell their stamps and their kids have to go hungry as a consequence. Can't fix stupid. There are countries with real food shortages, such as Somalia. Our power grid is stable, and we enjoy a high standard of living.

[jacquesvol]

@RegularTK421 Indeed, no real food shortage in the US, but an income shortage for tens of millions of people.

[jacquesvol]

And supposing that people let their kids go hungry is an easy supposition, but based on a few anecdotes

[Phoenix98]

I completely skipped this because well I went to gradeschool and payed attention.

Though I'm gonna guess by the few phrases I did see that this is a bias take that will somehow lead to corruption, hatred of government and authority and somehow tie into Trump, Russia and China. And well your a teenager so big surprise.

[TheOtakuMaid]

actually, the explanation of the three branches was given sources and explained objectively. the last bit was my opinion on it as actually knowing why they put the electoral college in they said in their own words they could not trust the people to pick a competent leader

[TheOtakuMaid]

which I agree with it's just the marketing I dislike. don't call your nation land of the free if you can't trust democracy

[Phoenix98]

Well like I said I skipped most of it because I learned about this as a kid, I figure most people did at least I would hope.

Well as long as that's true and your talk about the actual branches are un-bias then I have no issues.

And no they put it there in case they couldn't like in case a candidate has used misinformation and trickery to use gullible people to get elected and also so elections couldn't be run by mob rule. It's quite ingenious.

Well America isn't a democracy though that's what most people get wrong, America is a constitutional republic it always has been.

[lushbomb]

Trump better start making America great again.. protecting us from these North Koreans lol. I hope he realizes that running a country isn't like a business... he sure is treating it like one... can he just get impeached pls... this has to be a joke right? im waiting on the "surprise, you fell for it!!" line lol... anytime now... He's a smart man when it comes to business (the way he talks and attracts ppl) but he can't run a country for shit lol

[TheOtakuMaid]

actually running a country is almost exactly like a business. that's how government works its just the inflow of money *Tax* and distribution of it to other departments

[TheOtakuMaid]

at this point as long as he handles north korea i dont care what else he does

[cipher42]

@TheOtakuMaid: That's entirely untrue. There's some similarities between how government and business run, but the actual workings and details are entirely different, and Trump clearly has not the faintest clue about how our government (or government in general) actually works. Like I fucking doubt the dude could even fully explain the checks and balances system, and that's some high school civics level info right there.

[TheOtakuMaid]

@cipher42 oh i am not defending trump but a lot of government is like a business. as the flow of money and workers management among many factors you need someone who can run a business that should not be their only quality but a large factor of government is a business

[cipher42]

In some aspects, yes. But in the actual details, no. And for the leader of a country, the details are VERY important. Like cmon, Trump had to have international trade rules explained to him 11 fucking times before he got it (if he even got it at all). So while some degree of business sense is no doubt useful, without a basic understanding of global and US politics and trade it's pretty unhelpful (as evidenced by how much of a trainwreck this presidency has already managed to be)

[TheOtakuMaid]

@cipher42 Trade falls under business to along with politics. i am not again defending trump i am speaking, in general, a government is a large scale business with multiple aspects. while some aspects of it are exclusive to government. one who is good with business should already grasp trade politics and money management, he does not but then again thats not really why we elected him.

[cipher42]

Exactly. If Trump can't even understand something so business-relevant as trade rules, his business knowledge clearly ain't all it's cracked up to be as far as usefulness in politics is concerned. Basically, it's pretty evident there's a lot more to politics than just business tactics, and a knowledge of business means pretty much jack shit without a decent understanding of political systems to apply it to.

[TheOtakuMaid]

@cipher42 most businessmen would have an understanding of it. Afterall if you are doing business with someone from China having an understanding of the political waters is a necessity. while trump is a Good businessman i would say he is not the Best and definitely needs to improve. he said it himself that it was "alot harder then he thought" i prefer him over pence and hillary still but he does need to improve

[cipher42]

Only if they actually did their homework on how the government works. Like all I'm saying is that business knowledge ain't shit if you don't actually know the specific rules and general system you're working with. It's an advantage if used correctly, but without the right base knowledge no about of business smarts is gonna help. And Trump clearly has nowhere near the necessary base knowledge about politics to be an effective leader of a world power.

[TheOtakuMaid]

@cipher42 no but at the same time maybe that is not what is needed in this case. i mean Hillary was a God of politics there was no one more better at Being a Politician and yet if we got her we would have Burned right away. with Trump we are still afloat and he may improve greatly

[cipher42]

I tend to disagree on that one. Like certainly with Clinton the administration would be nowhere near so much of a trainwreck than it would be under Trump. And considering the republican majority in both houses of congress, I don't really think she'd be very effective as far as making significant changes anyways, so generally it'd probably be a much cleaner and less entirely clusterfucky administration. That's all just speculation though, so hey.

[TheOtakuMaid]

@cipher42 with clinton it would probably be the continuation of the norm but with a new war with russia she was after all saber raddling a lot. and while our administration is a clusterfuck it may be a needed clusterfuck.

[cipher42]

Meh, I think as far as pissing off world powers goes Trump's much more of a risk. He's childish, has no concept of subtlety, and his white house is leakier than a fucking sieve. Like remember that time he just straight up admitted to having two nuclear submarines near North Korea? And you really think this amount of ineptitude, informational leakage, and administrative musical chairs is a good thing? Because I think you're pretty badly mistaken on that.

[TheOtakuMaid]

@cipher42 if you noticed recent news north korea is still ramping up testing. they have a crazy fuck. we need a crazy fuck with the balls to combat them before they have the power to hit us. i think his current actions are justifed on that front. as for Russia was it not the left saying there were ties? surely russia is no issue then

information leakage i can not defend its a stupid move but one hillary made with her emails so what you gonna do?

as for musical chairs thats all our government is. demos this year reps the next it goes back and fourth and no progress really being made

[cipher42]

We absolutely do not need a crazy fuck. We need someone with actual experience in this area who is capable of maintaining a respectable level of subtlety and secrecy, none of which Trump is. And I would argue that a foreign power meddling in our elections is a pretty fucking big issue, would you not?

And you absolutely cannot keep using the emails thing as a catch all counter. All Clinton did was use a private server for emails, a ill advised but not outright idiotic move. Trump on the other hand has done shit like holding a high security meeting in essentially public, with witnesses who weren't even government affiliates and certainly didn't have any level of security clearance. Like that's some sketchy shit right there. Plus, White House senior staff under Trump have been using their own private email accounts, so they're doing exactly the same shit.

Lmao this amount of turnover of WH senior staff is absolutely not typical, are you really that ignorant?

[lushbomb]

how is running the government like a business going? lol @TheOtakuMaid

[Avalon11]

The Electoral College I believe provides the most democracy, it gives power to the rural counties. Otherwise if the presidential election was only decided by the popular vote then Democratic mega-cities Los Angeles and New York would always swing the election, it's not a fair system if one side always wins. With the Electoral College Democrats and Republicans both have a fair 50/50 chance of winning. Democrats lost this round of the game, better luck next time.

[redeyemindtricks]

The fact that there are exactly two Senators from each state — no matter how large or small — already gives a HUGELY disproportionate measure of power to sparsely populated rural states.
The average resident of Wyoming, for instance, is 67 times as strongly represented in the Senate as is the average Californian.

That this same disproportion characterizes Presidential elections is a travesty. Every other election, fine, whatever — but the President is the President **of the United States**. It doesn't make logical sense to elect the President by any means other than a direct plebiscite.

__

Bit of history for ya
This is from the first Federalist paper in which the electoral college was conceived:
s17.postimg.org/.../...2016-11-10_a_s_22h45_18.png

^^ Read that carefully.

Pink part says, "The population is basically too stupid to make this decision directly."

Blue part says, "The popular vote might

[redeyemindtricks]

elect a fanatical tyrant, but the electors will be sure not to -- even if that goes against the popular vote."

Yep.

That's WHAT THE FOUNDING FATHERS WANTED TO DO.
They WANTED to say "fuck you" to the popular vote, and have a handful of elitists casting the *real* votes instead. That was THE WHOLE POINT.

Dude.

[TheOtakuMaid]

while i did back trump and still like him i still think our system should not be run like a chess game if we are going to call it a democracy.

[TheOtakuMaid]

@redeyemindtricks while I agree the masses are quite stupid we still mascarade as a Democracy. or the public thinks such and so we should operate as such. also i would say a few founding fathers did think that but there is one flaw in your argument i have to point out even though i agree with you

trying to get a group of people from different walks of life to agree on somthing is fucking hard. the founding fathers barely managed to get 13 colonies to agree on a few things. they disagreed a lot on the course of this country. its why only after a short amount of time it already becomes a faction battle between the Federalists and the demorepublicans i say demorepublicans as they were one group at that time.

our system was not meant to be finite but a foundation the people could build on over time

[redeyemindtricks]

Yah, and that intent is already enshrined in two supremely important ways —

1/ as noted above, the Senate gives the same representation to every state regardless of actual population,

and

2/ the states have an incredible — and totally unmatched, anywhere else in the world — amount of autonomy in making and enforcing laws. The sheer magnitude of the differences between states' legal environments are ASTOUNDING to my international friends, whom I usually just tell that they should think of the US as 50 different countries rather than as a single country with 50 states.
(The legal differences between Mexican states, or between Japanese prefectures, or between Colombian departamentos, or between... **any** other state-level divisions of **any** other country, are almost completely negligible. The only decently major exception I can think of is Hong Kong — whose citizens are granted a number of economic and legal freedoms that other Chinese people don't have — but that's an

[redeyemindtricks]

artifact of the fact that HK was under British governance until 1996.)

I mean, if you think about it, the President (and VP) is the ONLY **Federal-level** position that is subject to open election. (Federal judges, etc. are chosen by appointment — and there are no Federal legislators.)
So, it's only logical that the President should, accordingly, be the only official chosen by the popular vote of the entire country.

[JohnDoe3000]

@Avalon11

"The Electoral College I believe provides the most democracy, it gives power to the rural counties. "

And here I was thinking that "democracy" means "one man, one vote"...

[0112358]

@JohnDoe3000 the important things is for each piece of dirt to be fairly represented.

[Avalon11]

@redeyemindtricks The popular vote would've handed the presidency to Hillary Clinton, she would've caused a lot of problems, tearing down the borders letting everyone in unvetted, her no fly zone over Syria would have for sure angered the Russians which is not a wise course of action.

Donald Trump won 3,084 out of the country's 3,141 counties, theirs your popular vote.

[0112358]

Clearly Los Angeles and New York should each split themselves into 30 states each, each with 2000 counties.

[Avalon11]

@0112358 Perhaps they should go start their own country then lol

[0112358]

They probably should.

[John_Doesnt]

It's called Gerrymandering and it basically allows whoever is in charge of it to decide how the electoral college will turn out.
There's not much we can do about it unless we have the free time to go around protesting, getting people to sign petitions, sending letters to government officials and a bunch of other boring crap that nobody has the time for.

[Rissyanne]

So let me guess... just another liberal who is bitter about the election and loves to name call. Gotcha...

[zagor]

That is pretty much your stock response to everything, isn't it. I bet it's Obama's fault.

[Rissyanne]

@zagor and for 8 years you liberals blamed everything on bush. That was your response. I am just sick of liberals whining about the election

[zagor]

This guy went through the bother of writing this long post summarizing the US political system, and you're all "Meh, just another whiny liberal". Did you even read it? He didn't say anything about the last election other than mentioning the electoral college system is why Trump won with fewer overall votes.

[Rissyanne]

@zagor you can get this information by googling it. And he referred to the people on this site as idiots. He also referred to the electoral college as cunts. Don't sit there and act like he is a saint. He is the typical liberal as are you

[zagor]

A LOT of people ask questions on here that could be answered by googling them. Yet they don't bother. He was in a huff about an argument he was in on another thread and that is why he was complaining about idiots. As far as the electoral college, it wouldn't make sense to blame those individuals for the election results because they are supposed to vote how their state voted.

You sound like the nutcases who called everyone they disagreed with communists back in the 1950's.

[Rissyanne]

@zagor typical liberal name calling. Don't you see that is why a lot of people hate liberals? If a person disagrees with liberal... they start name calling and also they get violent.

[zagor]

I called you out on your namecalling, and you are calling it namecalling? I actually haven't said a thing in this thread that is "liberal".

That said, are you proud of the way this President is handling things like his cabinet staffing and speeches to boy scouts?

[Rissyanne]

@zagor I didn't realize calling someone liberal was a dirty word. So you are ok with someone calling people cunts and idiots? Yes I am good with the president. Now you are going to insult me.

[zagor]

Namecalling is rather common on GaG, for better or for worse.

No, you're not the one who embarrasses me. My President is a narcissistic buffoon, that embarrasses me. Regardless of what you think of his policies, what there is of them, surely you don't think baiting media celebs on Twitter is "acting Presidential"?

[Rissyanne]

@zagor I love that he tweets. We did not elect him because he is presidential. But while we are on the subject bill Clinton getting a blow job in the Oval Office isn't what I would call presidential.

[0112358]

You must have failed to read to the end where he praised China and Russia for getting things done.

I suspect he loves trump but wishes he could get rid of those pesky checks and balances.

[Rissyanne]

@0112358 well the part where he called the electoral college cunts... if he is a Trump supporter... he's not showing it.

[bingbaddaboom]

Some people in this world choose to attack others and cultivate negativity at any opportunity possible. It's quite obvious that you are one of those people Rissypoo. I sincerely hope you find some measure of happiness in the final decades of your life.

[zagor]

At least Clinton didn't post his BJ online, which is where Trump likes to air it out.

[TheOtakuMaid]

I like trump so not really a liberal. just an observation with no real bias as even tho i like trump i dont really care who runs the circus at this point

[TheOtakuMaid]

Also, the Electoral college are Cunts. just because the dude I liked won does not mean they are still not Cunts and the system bullshit.

[TheOtakuMaid]

while yes the founding fathers *a few* did put the system in place you do realize in their statement and address when designing it they considered the masses too stupid to make their own choice on a leader. they said it themselves. so if you have an issue with me calling people on this site in general idiots then take it up with the founders of the electoral college who considered the people idiots

[Rissyanne]

@bingbaddaboom so he is the one name calling and I'm negative. Right.

[Rissyanne]

@zagor when has Trump ever twitted about getting a bj? Your reaching babe.

[bingbaddaboom]

Correct, you carry a lot of negativity.

[zagor]

He hasn't, but he has tweeted about a lot of other incredibly petty things.

And Bill Clinton never bragged about grabbing a woman by the pussy.

[Rissyanne]

@zagor no he just sexually assaulted them and had to pay out damages to them.

[COCOCHANEL]

if you hate the right wing so much come to japan and battle them out. they have been in office here almost continuously for the last 5 decades.

[TheOtakuMaid]

I don't really hate the right wing I hate both sides of the coin. I find the fact each year it's just a pendulum going back and forth from each side nothing ever getting done. at least in Japan, your infrastructure is not collapsing your people took care of and the general progress of the nation as a whole continuing...

example for California there was a project to get a bullet train like in Japan over here. the money disappeared and was pretty much pocketed... our bridges are collapsing almost all our factory work is in china. the only reason we are not a third world nation like Russia is due to the economy being based out of here. but by no means are we in any good state.

we have only been around for 200 years have already had a civil war and have been at War 80% of the time and besides the wars leading up to world war 2, every war after has not been justified.

[TheOtakuMaid]

our education system is so laughable if you had a class here in comparison to Japan it would probably be like primary school compared to high school the primary school being our system.

our military is bloated and we have so many bases everywhere when we can barely secure our borders. our money is inflating a lot and what use to be in reflection of the Gold in the federal reserve is just paper holding no value then what we give it. Russia somewhat hates us for good reason and we have even the parts of our weapons made in China. we are oooooh far in debt. have shitty health care and an abusive welfare system some of our cities like Detroit are ghost towns and to top it off like a cherry on this shit Sunday we have a new political movement by the left called Social Justice whose sole goal in existence is to fuck over everything we stand for which is not much this day's

[TheOtakuMaid]

while I can not speak on the corruption or political waters for Japan it sure as hell looks like things are progressing your education good your people somewhat happy and taken care of. good culture not too unaffected by Us. good people good food nice Women. looks good enough i will probably end up moving there before this ship sinks not having politics shoved in my face 24/7 will be nice also

[jacquesvol]

Only 5 decades? Much longer than that, isn't it? Or were all those old emperors left wingers?

[TheOtakuMaid]

@jacquesvol well it was a republic for 500 years and a empire for 1000 if i recall so in total you could say Rome lasted 1500 years

[MadBoy]

... You know I usually go anon when answering questions, but since this is my personal thought I'll make an exception.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_as70-976c

[BlueEyesWD]

First of all, you need to chill, second, you need to see the other countries' systems how they work and then you will see that the world we live in sucks as hell not just the States. But you know what they say "It's always greener on the other side."

[TheOtakuMaid]

yes other countries systems do suck but then again they do proclaim to be the best and land of the free. its the Hypocricy that annoys me

[BlueEyesWD]

That was a thing... before we were even born, I don't think people believe in that crap.

[TheOtakuMaid]

oh trust me flash worshipers still exist

[ATuairiscean]

I am from outside the US and with the rise of Donald Trump, I got interested in the whole election process but there were extra details in your take I didn't know.

[NatalieIsHere]

I already knew everything about it but that was a great summary, especially for people who don't live here.

[Anonymous]

Idiot voters are why we have the president we currently have

[Rissyanne]

People like you are exactly why Trump got elected. So keep up the good work.

[bingbaddaboom]

$ is the reason Trump got elected. The popular vote means absolutely nothing. In fact, the president is mostly just a figurehead. Congressmen play a more important role in the government. Those are not glamorous elections though so everyone turns their shoulder and then wonders why nothing has changed.

[Rissyanne]

@bingbaddaboom don't be so bitter. Hillary had over a billion dollars and couldn't win

[bingbaddaboom]

@Rissyanne I'm not bitter. In fact, Trump is more conducive to my income so I actually prefer him in office. There would be just as much "change" with Hillary as there is with Trump. It's just a media circus anymore.

[bingbaddaboom]

@Rissyanne I'm an opportunist though so take that to the bank for what it's worth.

[LaikaFreefall]

I mean, there was really no good option. lol. I wouldn't have ever voted for Trump. But hillary was just Republican light. What were you supposed to do? lol.

[LaikaFreefall]

@Rissyanne Hillary had all that money, but people fucking knew where it came from haha

[Rissyanne]

@LaikaFreefall where do you think it came from?

[LaikaFreefall]

@Rissyanne Well, I was partly kidding. But a large part of her money came from rich donors and corporate interests. And people knew that and I think it was a bit part of why no one ever trusted her... that and the fact that she talks like the WORST kind of politician lol.
I mean, I guess the money thing isn't so much that no one trusted her as much as everyone whos even remotely woke trusted her to be a corporate shill lol.

[Rissyanne]

@LaikaFreefall with what she did to our national security... she shouldn't have been trusted with a lemonade stand

[LaikaFreefall]

@Rissyanne I feel like this is more of a conservative thing to talk about. Educate me, I don't know about this. What did she do to harm the national security?

[Rissyanne]

@LaikaFreefall her server? Remember... comey found classified emails on her private server.

[Rissyanne]

https://youtu.be/6Z8pnk2rvYo

[sedrftvgyhujik]

I think only haveing 2 partys and makeing it so expencive to run make lobbying much more infuental witch often isn't a good thing ie when its the oil inderstry or big buisness

[TheOtakuMaid]

George Washington did say don't fall into a party system. if i recall Thomas Paine recommended 7 parties if we did

[sedrftvgyhujik]

we have 2 dominant ones hear but libral democrats where in power a while ago and other partys freqently get a say via a coalition.

[jacquesvol]

Electoral College was established in a way to favor even thinly populated states over highly populated cities. (and over the states these cities are located in).

[TheOtakuMaid]

The reason that the Constitution calls for this extra layer, rather than just providing for the direct election of the president, is that most of the nation’s founders were actually rather afraid of democracy. James Madison worried about what he called “factions,” which he defined as groups of citizens who have a common interest in some proposal that would either violate the rights of other citizens or would harm the nation as a whole. Madison’s fear – which Alexis de Tocqueville later dubbed “the tyranny of the majority” – was that a faction could grow to encompass more than 50 percent of the population, at which point it could “sacrifice to its ruling passion or interest both the public good and the rights of other citizens.” Madison has a solution for tyranny of the majority: “A republic, by which I mean a government in which the scheme of representation takes place, opens a different prospect, and promises the cure for which we are seeking.”

[TheOtakuMaid]

As Alexander Hamilton writes in “The Federalist Papers,” the Constitution is designed to ensure “that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications.” The point of the Electoral College is to preserve “the sense of the people,” while at the same time ensuring that a president is chosen “by men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station, and acting under circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice.”

[TheOtakuMaid]

or in short, the people are too stupid to pick a proper leader.

[jacquesvol]

@TheOtakuMaid
"the tyranny of the majority” happens through the the two party system.

[TheOtakuMaid]

true, then again the founding fathers were against party systems at least George was

[jacquesvol]

How many times did the College reject an 'unfit' candidate after the elections?
But indeed, the Founding Fathers didn't trust democracy.
Thus these days the Koch brothers have more influence than the voters.

[jacquesvol]

@TheOtakuMaid That "extra layer" between voters and decisions of the government is already provided by Congress and by the power of the states.
The Electoral College added a layer more to protect thinly populated states.

https://i.imgur.com/h6BoPKR.jpg

[TheOtakuMaid]

that was hardly its original goal even if it turned out as such and it gives thinly populated area's to much power

[jacquesvol]

Read this: time.com/.../

[TheOtakuMaid]

thats true but i have also read a good reason for it is due to a distrust of the people being competent enough to pick a good leader

[jacquesvol]

There was indeed that distrust, but there was mainly the distrust about other people in other states picking a leader those slave owning farmers didn't like. (their definition of 'not a good leader' )

[steveguitar]

Didn't read all of it, but if the people voted for Hilary and didn't get her, then it is a flawed system and needs to be changed

[404filenotfound]

I wouldn't really call the electoral college cunts lol, we have them for a reason

[TheOtakuMaid]

for shady reasons they are still cunts whether needed or not

[404filenotfound]

It depends on how pessimistic you want to be about it, it could also be argued that they're essential in making sure that everyone gets the chance to have an impact and that they're keeping the scales of power from tipping in the favor of either party.

Life's all about perspectives, that's the beauty of it.

[FreedomByChoice]

people are so delusional that they choose not to talk about the obvious corruption within our own country. The electoral college in itself isn't bad, but be realistic. RIGHT NOW, the way the electoral college operates, is not fair.

[Anonymous]

http://i.imgur.com/ktrWLQN.gif

What if i told you, that the elecion system is rigged and that our votes are actually a diversion?

[Ghassan2]

American government system = The most evil thing on earth right now.

[bingbaddaboom]

That's pretty accurate actually but I would argue that if it wasn't the U. S. Government + capitalism, it would be a different government and monetary system elsewhere in the world.

[TheOtakuMaid]

@bingbaddaboom while capitalism is the best system we got currently and the most basic Human system I think we can improve it. if we improve it. it may reflect good on government as well

[TheOtakuMaid]

I would not call it the most evil just the most flawed.

while granted it is full of evil that's just due to the flaws. if we fix the flaws like fixing the holes in a ship the evil will dissipate

[bingbaddaboom]

It becomes a question of our own ethical and moral compass as human beings really. Any system will have flaws and, just so, I think it's hard to argue that humanity is inherently good. That's entirely another conversation altogether though.

[bingbaddaboom]

Also, a huge flaw with capitalism is that it is a system that treats resources as infinite yet we live on a finite planet. It's a tacit requirement that economies of scale continue to grow or be replaced by other more efficient economies. There is no equilibrium at which to arrive with capitalism and there never will exist equilibrium because of who is in charge of the system. Those in power do not care to create change because they are the ones that benefit the most. Further, it provides for vast rifts and chasms in all areas of society and even so far as between different societies and cultures.

[TheOtakuMaid]

@bingbaddaboom I see good and evil as metaphorical concepts. Nature does not will such and so it is not Truth. however such standards are needed for Society/

also while our planets resources are finite that of space is not. we simply need to push the market up.

[Ghassan2]

HAHA Americans are a little pissed. It's the truth though. They can't deny it.

[jacquesvol]

@redeyemindtricks i <3 your arguments here. :)

[redeyemindtricks]

@jacquesvol thanks... other thread tho?