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A comment on Maine Ranked Choice Voting Initiative Approved. Parent comment

Re:Maine Ranked Choice Voting Initiative Approved by mtgx on Monday November 14, 2016 @05:43PM (#12954044)
Yes, I fully believe the FPTP voting system is what has led to the incredibly toxic and extremely partisan political system in the US, to the detriment of all logic. It has created an extreme "us vs them" situation.

Studies also show a correlation (and possibly causation) between FPTP countries and income inequality. Whatever "benefits" FPTP may have, they pale in comparison to all the disadvantages.

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Re:Maine Ranked Choice Voting Initiative Approved by will_hughes on Monday November 14, 2016 @08:15PM (#12954846)
> PTP voting system is what has led to the incredibly toxic and extremely partisan political system in the US

Perhaps, but Australia uses Instant-Runoff Voting [1], and we are also following the toxic partisan Us vs Them situation too.

I suspect there's more than one factor at play here.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant-runoff_voting

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Re:Maine Ranked Choice Voting Initiative Approved by redcap on Monday November 14, 2016 @09:35PM (#12955170)
While the Liberals (conversatives in Australia) have the lower house, they don't have the majority in the upper house, making it more of a house of review than a rubber stamp.

The PM is elected by the parliament, and often disposed of when they're seen as not doing the job. More turmoil, but avoids a lame duck at the top.

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Re:Maine Ranked Choice Voting Initiative Approved by will_hughes on Monday November 14, 2016 @11:30PM (#12955583)
Perhaps, but I'm talking more about that voting methods are not necessarily to blame for the levels of partisanship in US politics.

There have been a lot of eerie similarities in Australian politics in terms of partisanship.

Turnbull was ousted from his first turn at Liberal Party leadership precisely because he was seen as 'cooperating' with the Labor government at the time, when he was willing to negotiate and compromise on certain positions.

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