How can we get candidates who will represent their constituents better?

Question

Methods and examples needed.

Answer 1

Your question seems to assume that candidates for all political offices should represent the constituents. For sake of argument I will assume that you understand that mayors, governors and the president are leaders, not representatives. Likewise, let's agree that we are discussing members of Congress, that bicameral beast in our capital.

If you look at the Constitution, you will find that Senators were originally elected by state legislatures to represent at the federal level the interests of the states, not the members of voting districts. That leaves the House of Representatives. Your representative should represent his constituents according to their wishes, not his own. If you can find one who actually does that, by all means, please let me know.

So what to do with the ones who don't represent the people they're elected to represent? Our system requires voters to keep all elected officials by staying involved and thinking critically. Most of us are victims of government education and thus less prepared for critical thinking than some. We would rather go home from work and have dinner in front of Entertainment Tonight than to have family disussions about work, the news of the day and so forth. Instead of knowing what our elected officials are doing, we wonder who our entertainers are doing.

The bottom line is that we must act as individuals and within groups of concerned citizens to communicate with representatives so that they know our concerns. If they don't act accordingly, vote the SOBs out. It's just that simple.

Answer 2

The constituents are the ones that vote the candidate into office. Therefore, in order to get a candidate into office that will better serve the constituents, the constituents need to do a better job educating themselves on the issues, and vote for a candidate that has similar beliefs. Too many of them are just picking candidate based on the wrong reason. For example, they voted for Democrats this last election because they are upset with Bush. But, they don't learn where the Democrat candidate stands on the issue.

Answer 3

1. Condorcet
2. Multi-seat STV|IRV
3. Approval Voting

Reason being: they make the competition hotter, as candidates /within/ a party have to compete with one another, so the loyalty effect, which reduces accountability, is overcome.

There's also something more mundane that one can do. Vote for third or fourth party candidates. I'll repeat the reasons that I gave in the answer to an earlier question (since they haven't changed!):

* You communicate the most information with a "minority" choice.
* You are actively voting for diversity of representation.
* Your intent will affect the mood of the local population proportionately, and could therefore win more support for your cause.
* Your vote will give strength to would-be third party voters in future elections.
* Whoever gets elected, they will want to win the next election, and you have given them some indication how to win your vote. You could find yourself better represented than many voters for that candidate.

Answer 4

Get involved with your local party politics. Do you have a party where you feel at home? The Libertarians run something they call Operation Politically Homeless, in case you feel alone out there.

Once you are involved in your party's local politics, you will meet people who are active enough in the party for you to think they should make a good candidate for some office. Tell the person so, and encourage them to take the idea seriously. The very fact that they are showing up at local party meetings means they have some convictions and a sense of their importance.

Answer 5

...if your a republican regester democrat and if your a democrate regester republian-----------this way you get to vote in the only election that decides the next candidate and so you would vote for the worst candidate in that party.
Once that caught on it would behove the party bosses to seek and and create the absolutley best candidates for the job or risk losing lottsa money-which realy is the name of the game ,isn't it.

Answer 6

Sometimes that's not the best thing to do......Candidates care about who gave the most money ..that's sucks but that is so true......millions of people vote for these folks and these millions of people do not at all think the same way.

Answer 7

with an average of 12 to 33 percent voting it will be hard. People need to get out and vote that is the start of it.

Answer 8

No Pay, No Perks. When they have to live like the rest of us, they would get the message.

OOOOO! OOOOO! If a majority of eligible voters was required, no one would get in since about 1/2 of them don't vote