News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Why the U.S. Spends So Much More Than Other Nations on He... by SilkRoadie on Wednesday January 03, 2018 @06:12AM (#16060066)
The US system allows one party to freeze out another for periods of time due to control of different chambers. There were government shut downs under Obama.. I think that shows how terrible the US system is at the moment.

Other countries like the UK and AU will typically have the ruling party in control of a majority. The US seems to almost always be running some sort of minority government due to loss of one of either the senate or house.

Re:Why the U.S. Spends So Much More Than Other Nations on He... by falsedan on Wednesday January 03, 2018 @07:44AM (#16060508)
> Other countries like the UK and AU will typically have the ruling party in control of a majority.

That's not my understanding or experience, and I'm a voter for both. The number of governments where the ruling party controlled both chambers is fairly rare. AU elects the upper chamber on a different schedule to the lower, so often a new government (in the House of Reps) will face an opposition-controlled Senate. I think this is the same as the US system.

The UK has it worse with the House of Lords, which aren't elected and thus won't ever change hands directly from a General Election result.

Also note that the voting tradition in AU is that if Labour gains control of the Federal government, then the Liberal/National Coalition generally gains control of the state legistlatures (and vice versa).

Perhaps you mean that a UK or AU lower chamber facing a hostile upper chamber is still functional and productive compared to the equivalent in the US. I think the threat of blocking supply or a vote of no confidence (or in the AU, a double dissolution) helps these governments be more willing to compromise with their opponents & pass legistlation, in the absence of a majority.

> some sort of minority government

A minority government is a rather specific term, and can be easily misunderstood when used to refer to an opposition-controlled upper house (which doesn't ever really exist in the UK). Could you please be more specific?

Re:Why the U.S. Spends So Much More Than Other Nations on He... by ameister14 on Wednesday January 03, 2018 @10:16AM (#16061597)
There is a long history of government shutdowns in Australia as well - one got so bad the queen dissolved the government.
Re:Why the U.S. Spends So Much More Than Other Nations on He... by rhino369 on Wednesday January 03, 2018 @12:12PM (#16062766)
Government shutdowns are mostly political theater. They have extremely limited impact on the people.

But the US politcal climate is sick right now. Partisanship has become very extreme.