Subject: R&B: "ISRAELI 'DEMOCRACY' IN AMERICA
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 1998 23:33:04 +0000
To: "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
To: (IL/ROOT & BRANCH ASSOCIATION, LTD.), rb@rb.org.il
From: "Root & Branch Association, Ltd." <rbranch@netvision.net.il>
Subject: R&B INFORMATION SERVICES: "ISRAELI 'DEMOCRACY' IN AMERICA" by
Prof. Paul Eidelberg
R&B INFORMATION SERVICES: "ISRAELI 'DEMOCRACY' IN AMERICA"
by Prof. Paul Eidelberg
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL, March 10, 1998, Root & Branch: One of the most
important factors determining the character of a regime is its electoral
system. The electoral laws screen who is eligible to vote and hold office.
These laws can therefore determine the caliber of those elected to public
office. Obviously, the moral and intellectual caliber of public
officials will in turn influence the entire range of laws
and well-being of the state.
Now, to comprehend the true character of Israel's system of electing
members of the Knesset, I shall apply that system to the United States
House of Representatives. Two things must be borne in mind. First, there
are no district elections in Israel -- the entire country constitutes a
single district. Second, Israel operates under a system
of proportional representation, whereby a party must receive 1.5% of the
ballots cast in an election to enter the Knesset. (The Knesset now has
eleven parties). Let us apply this system to the US House of Representatives.
Accordingly, the United States would constitute one single electoral
district instead of its present 435 congressional districts. Any political
party obtaining 1.5% percent of the total votes cast in a congressional
election would become ensconced in the House of Representatives. The
question arises: How many political parties are likely to arise given this
permissive electoral system?
To answer this question we must examine America's demographic character,
bearing in mind, however, that (1) not every distinct ethnic or religious
group will necessarily form its own political party, and (2) the members of
such groups will not necessarily vote along ethnic or religious lines.
As of April 1, 1997, there were an estimated 267 million people living in
the USA (not all of whom, of course, were citizens). Of these, 33.3
million (13%) were Black; the American Indian/Eskimo/Aleutian populations
made up 2.3 million (1%); Asians and Pacific Islanders numbered 10 million
(4%); an estimated 29 million (11%) were Hispanic
(persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race); and about 194 million
identified themselves as non-Hispanic white.
It's reasonable to assume, especially in view of their respective birth
rates, that Blacks as well as an Hispanic (Mexicans form the largest
sub-group), if not also an Asians (Chinese are the most numerous
sub-group), would each establish distinct parties. What about non-Hispanic
whites? Of these, and leaving aside their diverse ethnic origin, consider
religious groups that might form separate political parties on the basis of
their numbering at least 1.5% of the population.
Roman Catholics = 60,280,000 (22.6%); Baptists = 36,259,000 (13.6%);
Methodists = 13,483,000 (5%); Pentecostals = 10,334,00 (3.9%); Lutherans =
9,026,000 (3.4%); Muslims = 5,100,000 (1.9%). (I exclude the Jewish
population, which is less than that of Muslims, because it is certain that
American Jews, even if they were not divided between Reform, Conservative,
and Orthodox, would never form a distinct party.)
Now, leaving aside the divisions among Hispanics (Mexican, Puerto Rican,
Cuban, etc.), as well as among Asians (Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, etc.),
and ignoring the fact that the Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, and
Lutheran churches each have several divisions, perhaps as many as eight or
nine parties would be represented in the House of
Representatives based on ethnic and/or religious affiliation.
We must now add parties not based on ethnicity or religion. It is well
known that both the Democratic and Republican parties consist of a welter
of economic interest groups. Israel's electoral system of proportional
representation applied to House of Representatives would fragment these two
old parties. The House would become as unruly, as inept, and as impotent
as Israel's Knesset! Nor is this all.
The turbulence of the House would confound the Senate and make coherent
legislation virtually impossible, since both branches must agree to any
bill. The American Congress would become a laughingstock. People of high
caliber would shun office in either branch of the legislature. With
Congress paralyzed, power would shift toward the Executive.
The "Imperial Presidency" would be more than the title of a book. Such
would be the de facto power of the President that he could effectively
overawe the Supreme Court. America would cease to be a democracy, despite
its democratic elections. Indeed, given the democratic and culturally
neutral principle of one adult/one vote on the one hand, and the most
democratic and permissive electoral system of proportional representation
on the other, decision-making in the executive branch would become
increasingly arbitrary. The rule of law would gradually give way to the
rule of men.
Welcome to Israel!
Prof. Paul Eidelberg
Jerusalem, Israel
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