The following "plank" in the platform is not an empty feel-good statement. It is a promise founded on (a) a new understanding of human nature and (b) an unwavering commitment to restore, fortify and preserve America. Naturally, it is based on one very big assumption — that Patriots gain control of Congress. Although we guarantee results, you must vote for Patriots to turn aspirations into reality.
Fix the Political System
- We will adopt the "Bidirectional System" and break the present two-party monopoly. Doing so will enable third parties to compete without splitting the vote, compel politicians to do what is best for America, and take the excessive money, noise, pandering, pork and vitriol out of politics.
Suggested policy measures...
Although the following policy measures are strongly recommended, it is the job of Congress to work out the details regarding their implementation. Sending Patriots
to Congress will insure that special interests will not come before America.
Problems with the Present System
The two major parties are fighting each other rather than solving our social problems. We must find a way to break the closed system which has become monopolized by the two major parties. As they continually snipe at one another to gain strategic advantages in a game for power, the concept of what is best for America has become lost.
Allowing alternative platforms to compete would challenge the major parties, causing them to redirect their efforts to solve problems rather than merely win elections. Yet we must not award victory by default to the opposing major political party from splitting the vote in general elections. Simply put, we must exchange our present closed and debilitating "Two-Party System" for one that honors the wishes of the voters, expands the arena of ideas, and encourages solutions to our social problems. Happily, there is a solution that reflects the will of voters, inspires new ideas, and pushes the major parties to do what is best for America. The way to do this is to adopt the "Bidirectional System."
Bidirectional System
When we vote, we are technically making two decisions: (1) which direction we want America to go (left or right), then (2) which political platform we think will best get us there.
Just as when we go on vacation, we decide (1) where we want to go, then (2) how we will travel.
Analogy
Imagine 10 family members are vacationing on the Atlantic seashore. They are deciding what they will do for the afternoon — shop at the mall or go to the beach. Both the mall and the beach are in walking distance from their hotel, but they are in opposite directions. When facing north, the mall is on left, the beach is on their right.
Naturally, the family adopts the democratic process and they vote. Being spread out in different rooms, they write down on pieces of paper where they want to spend their afternoon together and how they want to get there. Upon gathering and counting the votes, they discover that 4 people voted to take a taxi and shop at the mall; the other 6 family members voted to go to the beach. However, they are divided over how to get there — 3 voted to drive, 2 voted to go by taxi, 1 voted to walk.
How should they go about determining what they will do that afternoon? If they separate the beach votes by mode of transportation, the 4 family members who voted to take a taxi and go shopping would be in the majority. Yet 6 of the 10 family members voted to spend the day at the beach. (See the illustration below.)
If this were a real-life example, the family members would intuitively (automatically) know that only the destination should be considered when voting to determine the family's afternoon activity. As such, going to the beach would be the winning activity for the afternoon. Only after deciding on the destination (the beach) would the family members decide on their best mode of transportation (possibly with another vote).
Because each vote indicates two decisions (destination then mode of travel), the voting is (subconsciously) counted two ways — first as a vote for destination (shop or beach), then as a vote for the means of travel most preferred to get there. If working strictly from their first vote (without further voting or discussion), the family members would go to the beach and take the car. Going by car was the most favored choice as the means of travel among those wanting to go to the beach.
Application
The same concepts can be applied to politics in America. Doing so reveals what is wrong with our current political system and how to fix it. See the illustration below featuring 1000 votes in one hypothetical general election. The 1000 votes are divided among the two major political parties (Democrats and Republicans) and four minor ("third") parties.
Because each vote means two things (direction and party), the voting should be counted in two ways: First as a vote for direction (Left or Right), then as a vote for the political platform (the vehicle) most favored to get us there.
Adding (combining) all the votes for Left View parties and all the votes for Right View parties would determine which direction wins the election (Left or Right). The party on the side of the winning destination (Left or Right) with a plurality of votes would be considered the winner of the general election. Although the party may not have the most votes of any one party, it would represent the will of the people. This process of determining "direction" (Left or Right) first then "vehicle" (party) would reflect the true will of the majority. Moreover, the focus on the political party would be redirected to determining the wanted direction (destination) to take America.
The "Bidirectional System" fixes all the problems with our current "Two-Party System" without any negative consequences or ramifications. It would encourage more people to get involved, free people to vote their conscience (without fear of splitting the vote with the major party to which they are most closely aligned), expand the arena of ideas while preserving the major political parties, force the major parties to be more responsive to the will of the citizenry, focus the major parties on fixing our social problems rather than on winning elections, and make the major parties work on behalf of America rather than on retaining power.
Summary of Benefits
Because elections will first be decided by total votes per side (then total votes per party), rival parties (on each side) will be able to compete in general elections without fear of splitting the vote, inadvertently handing victory to an opposing party (from the other side of the political spectrum).
Enabling alternative parties to compete in general elections would expand the arena of ideas. Competition is always good.
Enabling alternative parties to compete in general elections would force the major parties to do what is right for America, rather than what is necessary to win reelection.
More citizens will become inspired to participate in the political system because they will be able to vote their conscience (rather than feel obligated to vote for one of the two major parties).
Analysis
Changing America's political system to include "third parties" will pose no threat to the major political parties even if they should lose many seats to one or more rival (third) parties. A Congress comprised of several parties will still divide itself along directional lines (Left and Right). Green, Democrat, and Socialist Worker Party representatives will join forces against Right View parties. Similarly, Reform, Patriot, and Republican representatives will join forces against those on the political Left. Only if a rival third party wins enough elections to amass more seats than the rival major party in a respective body of Congress (at the State or Federal level) will the major party suffer in that body of Congress from the proposed changes to our political system. They would suffer only in losing control of that body of Congress. However, they would lose control to a rival third party; a party in the same general direction (Left and Right) as the major party.