[apexalpha]

As if anything in the executive branch of the US still works properly.

Isn't the FBI already raiding the homes of political opponents for intimidation?

The famed US constitution with all its 'checks and balances' they would never shut up about turned out to be papier mâché and completely trampled by the first person that tried.

[atmavatar]

> The famed US constitution with all its 'checks and balances' they would never shut up about turned out to be papier mâché and completely trampled by the first person that tried.

If we're being completely honest, the checks and balances in the constitution ended within the first decade. They were only designed to work in the case that the three branches of government were truly separate and adversarial with one another.

The creation of political parties largely eliminated them, both because they cross-cut branches and because the first-past-the-post, winner-take-all electoral system virtually guaranteed the parties would have nearly even representation most of the time.

That it's greatest likelihood of collapse comes between 236 and 243 years later (depending on whether you count from the end of the revolutionary war or ratification of the constitution) is a goddamn miracle.

[Galanwe]

I dont think the problem is parties by themselves. I think it's more the fact that the US system cannot accomodate more than 2 parties.

Plenty of other democracies have parties, including cross government branches.

What makes the US unique, and fragile, is that no party other than democrats and republicans can realistically exist.

It over emphasizes partisanship above anything (including honesty, morality) because career politicians in one party just have nowhere to go if they are dissident.

You can see that in plain sight currently, with republicans being in the total incapacity of contradicting their party line on anything, even the most obvious of lies.

In most other democracies, dissidents would have just created a new party and moved on, that wouldnt be "carrier ending" for them.

[tim333]

>constitution ... turned out to be papier mâché

Give it time.