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Tag: Democracy

Green Party Senate Candidate Margaret Flowers Crashes Two-Party Debate
Margaret Flowers (second from right) marches with Cornel West, Cheri Honkala and other activists during the "March for Our Lives" in Philadelphia during the 2016 Democratic National Convention. July 25, 2016. (Flickr / Stephen Melkisethian)
October 28, 2016
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Green Party Senate Candidate Margaret Flowers Crashes Two-Party Debate

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

Dr. Margaret Flowers, a Green Party candidate for Senate from Maryland, interrupted a televised debate to protest her exclusion from the forum on Wednesday.

“I’m a candidate on the ballot. I have a statewide campaign. I don’t understand why I’m not up here,” Flowers declared as she briefly occupied the debate stage.

Flowers is running for the seat long occupied by Democratic incumbent Barbara Mikulski, who announced her retirement earlier this year.

During the direct action, Flowers took the stage amid loud applause from the audience and shook hands with her opponents, Democratic nominee Chris Van Hollen and Republican nominee Kathy Szeliga, both of whom agreed to debate Flowers.

Read moreGreen Party Senate Candidate Margaret Flowers Crashes Two-Party Debate
What the US Can Learn From Canada’s Experiment With Electoral Reform
May 14, 2011. Activists in Ottawa, Canada demand electoral reform. Signs include "Far vote from coast-to-coast." (Flickr / ahblair)
July 4, 2016
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What the US Can Learn From Canada’s Experiment With Electoral Reform

Posted in Journalism, and Truthout

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was elected, in part, on a promise to change how the next government gets elected.

Although Canada’s electoral reform is very much a work in progress, activists and politicians alike are working to eliminate a majority-rule system in favor of a different, still-to-be-determined, but hopefully more representational form of voting.

“We want proportional representation,” said Kelly Carmichael, executive director of Fair Vote Canada, in an interview with Truthout, referring to one type of alternate voting system being considered.

“We never want to be stuck in a situation again where one person can take over the governance of our country,” she added, referring to Stephen Harper, Trudeau’s predecessor.

Although the US and Canada use very different systems, we can learn a great deal from this historic moment, particularly at a time when US voter turnout is plummeting and dissatisfaction with the available choices on the ballot is on the rise.

Read moreWhat the US Can Learn From Canada’s Experiment With Electoral Reform