• Hi Guest!

    The costs of running this forum are covered by Sea Lion Press. If you'd like to help support the company and the forum, visit patreon.com/sealionpress

Nonpartisan Large Democracy

xsampa

Well-known member
This may have to go back to George Washington's decision to disfavor parties, which led to successive presidents to be of 1 party or another, but is there a way for a formally nonpartisan (>100m) democracy to exist?
 
Depending on your definition of democracy, you could argue the Islamic Republic of Iran qualified on that for most of its history - maybe it could be larger and maintain that somehow?
 
It's broadly doable. Rojava-style Democratic Confederalism + iDemocracy + a legislature with population levels on par with New Hampshire.

Of course even if there were no parties it would still wind up like Nebraska where everyone knows who is who.
 
It's broadly doable. Rojava-style Democratic Confederalism + iDemocracy + a legislature with population levels on par with New Hampshire.

Of course even if there were no parties it would still wind up like Nebraska where everyone knows who is who.
But still, having 5-6 independent candidates running reduces partisan tension by increasing the number of "poles" to gravitate towards
 
But still, having 5-6 independent candidates running reduces partisan tension by increasing the number of "poles" to gravitate towards
Not really, look at France, Italy or Britain.
 
Last edited:
In any “partyless democracy”, a pro-administration faction and one or a number of anti-administration factions are still likely to emerge. These factions may be fluid and they may even resemble more a union of constituency associations than a formal party, but regardless some sort of party division would emerge.
 
That aside, how would "primaries" work in a nonpartisan system ?
The only version of that I've seen anywhere is some kind of runoff I think.
You could argue this was more or less the system in the early Third Republic in France (although I think there was no withdrawal requirement - @Redolegna?) before national organised parties really emerged on the left.
But even then it was pretty much as @Indicus said - what a "non-partisan" system is likely to mean in practise is that the parliamentary caucuses and the elections in the districts are not all that directly connected.
 
You could argue this was more or less the system in the early Third Republic in France (although I think there was no withdrawal requirement - @Redolegna?) before national organised parties really emerged on the left.

@Nanwe is the specialist on Third and Fourth, not me.
 
In any “partyless democracy”, a pro-administration faction and one or a number of anti-administration factions are still likely to emerge. These factions may be fluid and they may even resemble more a union of constituency associations than a formal party, but regardless some sort of party division would emerge.
That'd be pretty dope though esp. if all the candidates are still technically non-partisan and you end up with like 10 pro-admin candidates and 20 anti-admin candidates that switch between being the frontrunner
 
Back
Top