Our federal Senate has a rule that says certain types of legislation may have "unlimited debate" unless cloture is invoked by 60 votes. This was a well intended rule to promote bi-partisan support for legislation. However, over time Political Parties have established power over the members such that if the Minority Leader in the Senate says all in his Party must vote against a bill, a 60 vote threshold is seldom or never reached.
Over time, as our national population has grown, but with the federal legislature fixed by rule at 535 members (two for each state in the Senate, and and the number of House representative districts fixed at 435 since 1913. But the number of voters in each state or district has continued to increase in general. Thus the "money" needed to effectively campaign for office is more that most office holders can afford. They depend of their Party providing funds or likely donors. You go along with your Party or your next election may be inadequately funded. So we have Party line votes.
The result of the party line vote pattern and the existing filibuster rule results in Minority Rule, rather than the Majority rule as required in a functional democracy. Now the votes of the minority that elected the minority Party override the votes of the majority.
It looks like the rule will be eliminated when the minority party takes control, as they would NOT allow minority rule once they have the power to control the rule. But the majority party Senate leadership says they do NOT have the 51 votes to eliminate the rule.
Time will tell....
Over time, as our national population has grown, but with the federal legislature fixed by rule at 535 members (two for each state in the Senate, and and the number of House representative districts fixed at 435 since 1913. But the number of voters in each state or district has continued to increase in general. Thus the "money" needed to effectively campaign for office is more that most office holders can afford. They depend of their Party providing funds or likely donors. You go along with your Party or your next election may be inadequately funded. So we have Party line votes.
The result of the party line vote pattern and the existing filibuster rule results in Minority Rule, rather than the Majority rule as required in a functional democracy. Now the votes of the minority that elected the minority Party override the votes of the majority.
It looks like the rule will be eliminated when the minority party takes control, as they would NOT allow minority rule once they have the power to control the rule. But the majority party Senate leadership says they do NOT have the 51 votes to eliminate the rule.
Time will tell....
