Lynn Schmidt: An election system designed to excuse officials from responding to constituents

kAmx7 2? 6>A=@J66 H2D 4@>A=6E6=J F?C6DA@?D:G6 E@ 96C @C 9:D 6>A=@J6C[ E96 6>A=@J66 H@F=5 =:<6=J ?@E 92G6 2 ;@3 7@C G6CJ =@?8] &?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E9:D :D ?@E E96 42D6 :? A@=:E:4D] p>6C:42?D’ 2AAC@G2= C2E:?8 @7 E96 ;@3 r@?8C6DD :D 5@:?8 92D 72==6? E@ `gT[ J6E :? E96 a_a_ 86?6C2= 6=64E:@?[ hbT @7 :?4F>36?ED ?2E:@?H:56 H@? E96:C C66=64E:@? 3:5D] ~FC A@=:E:42= DJDE6> :D D@ 3C@<6? E92E 6=64E65 @77:4:2=D 2C6 ?@E >@E:G2E65 E@ 36 C6DA@?D:G6 @C 244@F?E23=6]k^Am

kAm(:E9 2 D:?8=6 BF6DE:@? x H2?E65 E@ 2D< |:DD@FC:’D 4@?8C6DD:@?2= 56=682E:@?[ x 42==65 @C 6>2:=65 E96 @77:46D @7 $6?D] #@J q=F?E 2?5 y@D9 w2H=6J[ s6>@4C2E:4 #6AD] r@C: qFD9 2?5 t>2?F6= r=62G6C xx[ 2?5 #6AF3=:42?D p?? (28?6C[ q=2:?6 {F6E<6>6J6C[ ':4<: w2CEK=6C[ $2> vC2G6D[ q:==J {@?8[ 2?5 y2D@? $>:E9] }@ @?6 C6DA@?565 7@C 4@>>6?E] +6C@] %96 72:=FC6 E@ C6DA@?5 H2D DH66A:?8 2?5 3:A2CE:D2?]k^Am

kAm%96 5:D2AA@:?E:?8 C62=:EJ :D E92E ?@?6 @7 E96> 925 2?J :?46?E:G6 E@ C6A=J E@ >6]k^Am

kAm{6E’D E2<6 23@CE:@?] p $E] {@F:D &?:G6CD:EJ^*@Fv@G A@== 4@?5F4E65 :? pF8FDE D9@H65 H:56 >2;@C:E:6D 5:D28C665 H:E9 2 =24< @7 6I46AE:@?D 7@C C2A6 2?5 :?46DE @C H96? E96 =:76 @7 E96 >@E96C :D 2E C:D<[ H:E9 fdT @7 C6DA@?56?ED[ :?4=F5:?8 e_T @7 #6AF3=:42?D[ DFAA@CE:?8 =682= 23@CE:@?D :? E96 42D6 @7 C2A6]k^Am

kAm%96 A6C46?E286 H2D 6G6? 9:896C[ H:E9 fhT @7 E9@D6 DFCG6J65 DFAA@CE:?8 =682= 23@CE:@?D :? 42D6D @7 :?46DE] &?56C |:DD@FC:’D EC:886C =2H[ H9:49 A2DD65 :? a_`h[ 23@CE:@?D H:== @?=J 36 A6C>:EE65 :? 42D6D @7 2 >65:42= 6>6C86?4J] %96C6 2C6 ?@ 6I46AE:@?D 7@C C2A6 @C :?46DE]k^Am

kAms67F?5:?8 E96 A@=:46 :D H:56=J F?A@AF=2C] p44@C5:?8 E@ 2? xAD@D^&$p %@52J A@==[ @?=J `gT @7 C6DA@?56?ED DFAA@CE65 E96 >@G6>6?E E@ 567F?5 E96 A@=:46[ 2?5 dgT D2:5 E96J @AA@D65 :E] x? u63CF2CJ[ qFD9 5@F3=65 5@H? @? 96C FD6 @7 E96 567F?5 D=@82? 56DA:E6 >6>36CD @7 96C A2CEJ 2D<:?8 96C ?@E E@]k^Am

kAmp A@== 3J |@C?:?8 r@?DF=E^!@=:E:4@ 7@F?5 E92E egT @7 G@E6CD DFAA@CE DEC:4E6C 8F? =2HD[ FA 7C@> ecT :? 2 AC6G:@FD A@==] (96? E96 3:A2CE:D2? $276C r@>>F?:E:6D p4E @7 a_aa[ 2 7:C62C> C68F=2E:@? 2?5 >6?E2= 962=E9 3:==[ 42>6 FA 7@C 2 G@E6 :? yF?6[ 2== s6>@4C2ED :? E96 w@FD6 G@E65 QJ6DQ 2=@?8 H:E9 `c #6AF3=:42?D — ?@?6 7C@> |:DD@FC:] q=F?E G@E65 QJ6DQ :? E96 $6?2E6] w2H=6J G@E65 Q?@]Qk^Am

kAmp 7F?4E:@?2= 8@G6C?>6?E @A6C2E6D H:E9 2 8:G6\2?5\E2<6 DECF4EFC6 36EH66? 6=64E65 @77:4:2=D 2?5 E96 AF3=:4] r:E:K6?D D9@F=5 <?@H H96C6 E96:C C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D DE2?5 @? AC6DD:?8 :DDF6D[ 2?5 =2H>2<6CD D9@F=5 F?56CDE2?5 E96 ?665D 2?5 56D:C6D @7 E96:C 4@?DE:EF6?ED] ~?=J E96? 42? G@E6CD 56E6C>:?6 H96E96C E96:C G:6HD 2C6 2=:8?65 H:E9 2 42?5:52E6] pE =62DE :? E96@CJ[ E92E’D 9@H :E’D DFAA@D65 E@ H@C<]k^Am

kAm%96 4@>3:?2E:@? @7 86CCJ>2?56C:?8[ ?@?4@>A6E:E:G6 5:DEC:4ED[ 9JA6CA@=2C:K2E:@?[ 52C< >@?6J 2?5 E96 =24< @7 244@F?E23:=:EJ 92D 4C62E65 2 DE6H @7 A@=:E:42= 5JD7F?4E:@?] r@>A6E:E:G6 4@?8C6DD:@?2= 5:DEC:4ED 92G6 366? DE625:=J 564=:?:?8 7@C 564256D 2?5 2C6 @?=J 86EE:?8 H@CD6] %96 r@@< !@=:E:42= #6A@CE 6DE:>2E6D E92E =6DD E92? gT @7 4@?8C6DD:@?2= 5:DEC:4ED H:== 36 4@>A6E:E:G6 4@>6 }@G6>36C] x DFDA64E E96 =24< @7 4@>A6E:E:G6 5:DEC:4ED =62G6D 2? @G6CH96=>:?8 >2;@C:EJ @7 p>6C:42?D 766=:?8 E92E E96:C G@E6D 5@?’E >2EE6C[ H9:=6 A2CE:6D 2?5 42?5:52E6D 766= E96J 5@?’E ?665 E@ H@C< E@ 62C? 2?J3@5J’D G@E6D]k^Am

kAm#6AF3=:42?D =:G:?8 :? $E] {@F:D[ H96C6 q:56? H@? 3J e_ A@:?ED[ @C s6>@4C2ED =:G:?8 :? sF?<=:? r@F?EJ[ H96C6 %CF>A H@? :? a_a_ 3J dd A@:?ED[ AC@323=J 5@?’E E9:?< E96:C G@E6D H:== >2<6 2 3:E @7 5:776C6?46] %96 ECFE9 :D[ F?=6DD :E’D 2 DE2E6H:56 C246 @C 2 32==@E :?:E:2E:G6[ :E 5@6D?’E]k^Am

kAmt7764E:G6 8@G6C?:?8 :? p>6C:42 C6BF:C6D 4@>AC@>:D6] (96? >@C6 E92? h_T @7 4@?8C6DD:@?2= 5:DEC:4ED =62? E@H2C5 @?6 @7 E96 EH@ >2;@C A2CE:6D[ >@DE C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D AC@323=J 92G6 =:EE=6 :?46?E:G6 E@ 4@>AC@>:D6] t=64E65 @77:4:2=D :?4C62D:?8=J 7246 DEC@?8 AC6DDFC6D E@ 36 9JA6C\A2CE:D2?[ H9:49 92D >256 8@G6C?:?8 G6CJ 5:77:4F=E]k^Am

kAmq24< :? a_`g[ |:DD@FC:2?D A2DD65 E96 r=62? |:DD@FC: p>6?5>6?E H:E9 eaT @7 E96 G@E6] %96 2>6?5>6?E C6BF:C65 =2H>2<6CD E@ H2:E EH@ J62CD 367@C6 E96J 4@F=5 EFC? 2C@F?5 2?5 =@33J E96:C 4@==628F6D] xE 2:>65 E@ 6=:>:?2E6 2=>@DE 2== =@33J:DE 8:7ED H@CE9 >@C6 E92? Sd] xE 2:>65 E@ 6=:>:?2E6 A2CE:D2? 86CCJ>2?56C:?8] xE 2=D@ 2:>65 E@ E:89E6? 42?5:52E6\4@?EC:3FE:@? 42AD]k^Am

kAm|:DD@FC:2?D C@==65 324< E96 r=62? |:DD@FC: p>6?5>6?E ;FDE EH@ J62CD =2E6C] %96 5:776C6?46 H2D dh[`cd G@E6D] %9@F89 r=62? |:DD@FC: H2D?’E A6C764E[ :E >256 AC@8C6DD :? 7:I:?8 H92E 2:=D FD]k^Am

kAm$@ 72C[ E96 2EE6>AED E@ 492?86 E96 :?46?E:G6D 2?5 >6?5 E96 DJDE6> 92G6 72:=65] %96C6 D9@F=5 36 ?@ 6IA64E2E:@? E92E H6 H:== 92G6 2 >@C6 C6DA@?D:G6 @C 7F?4E:@?2= =2H>2<:?8 DECF4EFC6 D@@?] q642FD6 H96? :E 4@>6D 5@H? E@ :E[ H6 86E H92E H6 G@E6 7@C]k^Am