Re: [Marxism] Duverger's Law and proportional representation

["Jurriaan Bendien" <andromeda246@xxxxxxxxx>]

Engels's letter is available at
http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1893/letters/93_12_02.htm

> It's by no means clear that electoral reforms in the US would
> do much to change this situation, even if the political system
> were to change so that more political parties emerged as
> major players within it.  The one positive that might come
> out of such reforms might be that a real labor party might
> then become possible in the US.  However, such a labor
> party would not be able to accomplish much unless there
> is a mass radicalization of the working class and other
> strata in the US.

I would say from what I have read, that probably both a wider politicisation
or radicalisation process, and legal reform would be needed, because without
such reform, it isn't even possible to organise or join in many activities
because of legal restrictions, e.g. trade unions - the AFL-CIO for instance
claims that a large number of US workers would join unions, if they could,
but are blocked from doing so, by legal regulations.

J.


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