[Will]

Originally posted by Loser:
The problem with cutting the pay of a politician is that s/he is still a politician. These are powerful people. If they are not secure, financially and in their future, they may use their power for the benefit of specific Groups who will then give them that security.

Not to mention that 99% of the politicians in federal office were millionaires before they decided to run for office, and the same for the high level positions in state governments and a few large urban centers.

I've seen the multiple-round voting system suggested a few times, but I doubt it will be implemented any time in the near future. There will be several people that will argue that the current system is more stable (in its ability to keep the status quo -- when you really look at it, there are pitifully few issues that are really in contention between Democrats and Republicans, especially in election years). The only way to change it on the federal level would be an Amendment to the Constitution, requiring IIRC, the approval of 75% of the states' legislatures, and 2/3rds of the US Congress. So that's quite a bit of inertia to overcome, seeing that most politicians have a vested interest in keeping the one-round, two-party voting system intact.

It would be nice if the two-round system was in place, though. I wouldn't feel like so much of a foolish idealist for not voting for Gush or Bore... err... Demicans and Republicrats... errr... whatever.