TED Conversations

Ian Sheane

This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »

What would your ideal government system look like?

What would your ideal government system look like? Is a two party system such a good idea?

Topics: 2012 US election government systems design
+1
Share:

Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.

  • David Grammer

    • +1
    Nov 16 2012: "Ideally" - no government at all. a close knit community which spontaneously comes together in times of sorrow and in times of celebration. a community whose shared concerns are so ingrained that there is an almost psychic connection between the individuals and a self-empowering commitment to the welfare of others. Governments are neither good nor bad, even the most extremely autocratic government could be a blessing if the autocrat in charge was a supremely enlightened being. Governments are largely irrelevant. They only have as much power as the individuals of a society chose to imbue them with. Governments don't matter, people do.
    • thumb

      Elizabeth Gu 30+

      • 0
      Nov 17 2012: While I strongly agree with you, the last part of your comment makes me raise a question.
      Don't governments matter? I think governments do matter. People also do matter.
      Despite all its shortcomings, a government can be relatively better than other governments or worse--there's no perfectly good one obviously.
      What so many people are trying to achieve is to weaken their government's power and strengthen their power with active participations. If a government doesn't matter, people wouldn't even bother standing up to the corrupt government and fight for their rights.

      • David Grammer

        • 0
        Dec 4 2012: Governments do matter because human beings are not "ideal". The best government in a less than ideal world involves minimizing the intrusion into the affairs of the individual while providing for the common weal. We agree to settle for an average amount of tyranny, whatever form it takes.

Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.