Everyone, you may be interested in my latest in the Washington Post, in which I describe how the Independent State Legislature theory may backfire on its proponents.
African americans overwhelmingly agree that the federal government should pay reparations to descendants of people who were slaves 150 years ago.
Everyone else is majority opposed.
So how does a democracy deal with things where individuals look at zero sum games where one voting group wants money from the other?
This is pretty similar to a high privileged group, beneficiaries of college loans, now being unwilling to pay the very modest repayments asked of them ...
I fear it is these divisions ripping our democracy apart. One group just wants to vote to take money from another.
The constitution didn't originally give the federal government the responsibility for these things but, now, as the tax burden has tremendously increased - there is money to be had ...
So, we beat back (it seems) election denialism - a great short term achievement.
But, now, here comes the supreme court again.
This time they are upset that Asians need to score 300 points higher than African Americans on the SAT to attend some elite colleges. I think your statement:
"Today, a major challenge to democracies around the world is how to manage a transition to a multicultural society. Has anyone ever succeeded at doing that?" is very much on the money.
What are the institutional changes we could make to avoid the sore feelings on this topic, which only seem to be growing? In California, where Asians are more numerous than African Americans (but is a very lefty state) they have forbidden racial preferences in the U.C. system. This is kinda spooky that groups other than the old entrenched European guard are using their power at the ballot box in zero-sum-game type situations.
Maybe the problem is that the court is making too many decisions for us that should be left to legislatures? But that does not seem to be the true underlying problem ... we still need to see how Dobbs unfolds ...
Everyone, you may be interested in my latest in the Washington Post, in which I describe how the Independent State Legislature theory may backfire on its proponents.
Article: https://wapo.st/3gUfw1R
Another "long term bug" in democracy?:
https://www.umass.edu/news/article/umass-amherstwcvb-poll-finds-nearly-half
African americans overwhelmingly agree that the federal government should pay reparations to descendants of people who were slaves 150 years ago.
Everyone else is majority opposed.
So how does a democracy deal with things where individuals look at zero sum games where one voting group wants money from the other?
This is pretty similar to a high privileged group, beneficiaries of college loans, now being unwilling to pay the very modest repayments asked of them ...
I fear it is these divisions ripping our democracy apart. One group just wants to vote to take money from another.
The constitution didn't originally give the federal government the responsibility for these things but, now, as the tax burden has tremendously increased - there is money to be had ...
So, we beat back (it seems) election denialism - a great short term achievement.
But, now, here comes the supreme court again.
This time they are upset that Asians need to score 300 points higher than African Americans on the SAT to attend some elite colleges. I think your statement:
"Today, a major challenge to democracies around the world is how to manage a transition to a multicultural society. Has anyone ever succeeded at doing that?" is very much on the money.
What are the institutional changes we could make to avoid the sore feelings on this topic, which only seem to be growing? In California, where Asians are more numerous than African Americans (but is a very lefty state) they have forbidden racial preferences in the U.C. system. This is kinda spooky that groups other than the old entrenched European guard are using their power at the ballot box in zero-sum-game type situations.
Maybe the problem is that the court is making too many decisions for us that should be left to legislatures? But that does not seem to be the true underlying problem ... we still need to see how Dobbs unfolds ...