"This way. No this way"

I don't know what is better than a democratic process but it is obviously not the best but then what is? I just don't know. I agree that thee are usualy people behind a politician who often try (and often succeed) to manipulate a politician or his party or party in power. Being the mother of an M.P. it was our greatest pride and happiness that he did not have any backers and therefore did not owe anyone any favours. This has helped hoim this past year so much in decision making and i hope that it remains this way for as long as he represents the people of his constituency.

Mexico is the same way.. and both sides only fight with each other. And both are always wrong. You pays? everyone does. Go figure. Take care there...

The problem is not that we are a "two-party" system; because, we are not. We do have several other recognized political parties - Libertarian, Green, Communist, etc. The problem is with the media. The media refuses to cover the other parties or their candidates. This past election season, they refused to allow the other parties presidential candidates the opportunity to participate in the debates. The did not even cover a single event with a candidate that was not a Democrat or a Republican! If the media limits our information about the different choices available to us - how can we make educated choices. The country is no longer being run by the people but by the media (big business).

The "Free Chocolate for All" party?

I have believed in democracy all my adult life, but as I approach the end of it, I find myself more and more in sympathy with Marx's concept of the lumpenproletariat on the one hand, and the justifiable cynicism with which thinking modern men and women approach modern politics, as per your subject post. I find myself thinking along the lines of limited franchise and strictly controlled candidacy eligibility, both limits set by the application of comprehensive tests to demonstrate (a) the degree of understanding of political, economic, and most importantly social issues in both potential voters and potential candidates the passing of which is essential to either vote or stand, and (b) equally comprehensive investigations of the probity, independence, and ethical understanding of potential candidates. Add to this strict limits on political campaign spending (say equal amounts provided by an electoral commission based on the number of candidates), limited terms, a ban on lobbying, and perhaps even a process of post-service assessment by an independent panel, and perhaps we might get honest, efficient government free of the influence of vested interests and hopefully free of the ideological blindness of party politics. We have now almost 150 years of development of adequate psychometric and sociological investigative and assessmnent tests, and I imagine we could devise tests for these purposes without too much angst or difficulty. Lash

Out political system is like, stuffed roasted turkey.. So many ingredients... So mixed up... So many political parties competing, so many philosophies that sometimes are hard to believe, so many politicians to choose from but no one deserved to be chosen. This is our politics here in the Philippines, so many ..... So many.... So many money...questionable where these came from. So many idealism, idealism not is just idealistic and not realistic. So many liars... So many promises put into waste.

I don't even know why we have to have parties. Why can't someone just run on their ideas and not have to be represented by a party? The answer, it just occurred to me, is money. A party can raise money in an organized way and get the big bucks needed to defeat the opponent with lies, scandals, muck raking and other appalling traditions. Here we have the two parties plus Independents and Libertarians and a couple other small parties. Only the two main parties get enough funding to really campaign. I'm in favor of imposing a limit on campaigns--you can only spend as much as the annual salary of the position you're seeking. I also think that all visual media coverage should be forbidden; that would weed out the lazy people who don't bother to read anything but depend on television for their information and usually believe everything they are told. The majority of campaigning would be through print so people would have to read and consider the words they are reading--and it would prevent most voters from voting purely on the charisma of a candidate as opposed to his or her real abilities and talents. But I'm getting off the point. Our current system is awful and the parties work for their own interests and the bottom scum who fund them, making laws that favor that scum over the people. For instance, they are trying to pass a relief bill for victims of a hurricane and 2/3 of it is not for the victims at all but special interests! Our parties are corrupted. The people need to rise up and protest and demand our employees realize who is boss--then we need to BE that boss. Whew! You really woke me up today! I rarely start the morning in anger, I will try to be serene the rest of the day.

hi pikey oh this election was the worst e ver. even my childhood best friend turned on me only because I voted democrat and she said but you born and raised in South Dakota and we all vote Rep ulican., I had changed. I still like her as I don't give a darn about what party either of us belong too we were friends for 86 years well no more like 78 years but we grew up together then all went o ur s eparate ways.We need to elect presidents who come from wo rking class not the wealthy who are really owned byu the big corporations here anyway as they contributed all the election money to both candidates. lol.Wealthy men do not have any idea of what its like for us ordinary working people here in the US.,It hurts that my best friend found me via Facebook only to turn against me because of my party!!

Hi this might sound wierd but if you ever watch the TV show startrek, that Gene Rodenbery made. In the Startrek world on earth there no more money, people are free to learn any job they want to do, they do not have to worry about food housing cost or Medcial. the Challange is improving like your mind and skills for growth. I"M what you call that kind of socity, but all so on earth only there no more wars between countries. like ,this Only on earth in the Startrek relm. they still have left and right it just kind of differnt I kind of like Gene Rodenbery vison.ok have a good day.

why do you say or say otherwise because the government might ideally try any means or ways to get on to the action and by putting a strong anytime force

I don't think you should assume that the caustic nature of the recent US election is necessarily typical of all liberal democracies. Politicians in the UK and France, for example, seem to manage to argue their corner without all elections descending into a slanging match - sometimes there is intelligent debate with each side arguing their case in a cogent way without slating their opponents personally. That said, I don't think the US system is ideal. There is virtually no chance of any third force, which might be a moderating influence on the extremes of both main parties, emerging. I believe there were actually four presidential candidates in 2012 but how many US voters were actually aware of candidates three and four? The democrats and republicans had adverts (high cost) and major TV air time sewn up between them so minot party candidates had virtually no chance of gaining any traction.