“The Supreme Court Is a Product of Minority Rule”: Ari Berman on America’s Undemocratic System

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We speak with journalist and author Ari Berman about his new book, Minority Rule, which details how the United States has since its founding privileged the rights and interests of a small elite over the needs of the majority. He outlines how, for the first time in U.S. history, five of six conservative justices on the Supreme Court were appointed by Republican presidents who lost the popular vote, and confirmed by senators elected by a minority of Americans. Berman says the court’s makeup is the product of two skewed institutions: how we elect our presidents through the Electoral College and how we appoint U.S. senators - both of which are flawed because they violate one person, one vote, violating the principle of equal representation, and empowering white, rural, conservative and wealthy citizens at the expense of more diverse and progressive parts of the country. “Our institutions are so antiquated, so undemocratic, that we need fundamental reform to change them, to democratize them,” Berman says.
Transcript: www.democracynow.org/2024/4/2...
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[@cassiusdhami9215]

"For revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy America reigns without a rival." -Frederick Douglass

[@Baramusic96]

❤️

[@venusbloodflow]

...not for long, especially after the continued support for Jen ~ O ~ Sigh'd.

[@georgecastanza6952]

American and proud say it loud!

[@petersack5074]

@@georgecastanza6952 ? ...PROUD, of a monstrosity of a National Debt = '''....will it ever , even be attempted, in paying off ? NO EVIDENCE, WHATSOEVER......so....your ' pride ' is going to go, before A NATIONAL CALAMITY - no more '' in god we trust '.......cause your gonna be a third world country - looking ALOT LIKE UKRAINE is TODAY.......oh well......ho hum....watch the nations tumble like dice...

[@NPCONSULTING247-jy3pz]

@@georgecastanza6952 Apache? Or Vespuci?

[@Theabok853]

At this points we will have a king backed by the senate(its right hand men and women) for a fascist rule with no accountability of acts.What a country!

[@Pl-ax0]

2nd amendment…

[@bigtobacco1098]

I have a pen... Obama

[@a.b.2850]

@@Pl-ax0the issue with this argument is that it’s only brought up by disregulated Americans to fight the left. When have you heard a Democrat say they’ll use their 2nd amendment, aka take guns and bring violence, to fight against a ruling republican tyranny? You want to use the 2nd amendment, fair enough, but everyone gets to. But keep in mind the destructive tyranny doesn’t come from the left.

[@ruthieworldonewomanshow]

"Dark Money: . . . " by Jane Mayer tells it all!

[@tptmh23]

yes, I absolutely love that book. A very frustrating read, but a great book nonetheless.

[@NPCONSULTING247-jy3pz]

Since the Swiss Credit Bank went babkrupt they are going from corrupt to radical , 911 red flag killed privacy, pandemic closedown killed basic rights and Netanyahu kills humanity

[@Jordan-qo9vz]

Unjust law is no law .

[@venusbloodflow]

Good People Break Bad Laws 🖤♥️

[@mrschnider6521]

What about using the legal system to try to stop people from running for office or trying to put your political opponent in prison before the election? isnt htat kind of anti democratic?

[@ricardosalas9060]

Samuel Alito was Nominated by George Bush, Jr. & Daddy, George Bush H.W. Bush nominated a woefully inexperienced Clarence Thomas because he was Black to minimize the fallout of replacing the renowned Thurgood Marshall who was the 1st Black jurist on the Supreme Court. Chief Justice John Roberts was also appointed by Bush Jr., originally expected to be an associate but the death of William Rehnquist, Roberts was elevated. Roberts had been a lobbyist for Big Tobacco & was a controversial choice among the civil rights community. But Ari Berman reminds all of us just how un-democratic the American system is based on the Constitution. That document was the by-product of the white male landed elites of the period who excluded white women, Black slave, & Native Americans from the political process. We are the inheritors and sadly are paying a serious price for what this Constitution cited by Berman is inflicting on democracy.

[@chrisg5894]

And slavery would still be a thing were it not for republicans

[@cassiusdhami9215]

“Ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have." - James Baldwin.

[@venusbloodflow]

Neoliberalism is akin to Fascism - probably a quote

[@chillquinones5362]

Merrick Garland is the one to blame for failing to appoint a special council for two & a half years!

[@GGilbertson1187]

Oh you’re just now realizing he’s an owned commie?? Glad to see you finally waking up Trump2024

[@arnettabdul-majied2533]

garland is weak a it shows every time 😂 shows his face

[@jojocaswell1633]

No, Garland is not at fault. He tried to maintain a justice system blind to the political voices crying for venegeance. We the people are to blame, as we have stopped trying to form a more perfect Union to serve all, but instead have worked to make things perfect for some or just the one.

[@jaylesebrown7664]

​@@jojocaswell1633You are absolutely correct. It is NOT Merrick Garland's fault. It is Joe Biden's fault. Nominating Garland was nothing more than symbolic. Garland was not qualified, nor motivated to perform the duties of AG. Further, when it became apparent that Garland wasn't "up for the job", Biden did nothing. He should have inquired about the investigations, and if not satisfied, requested Garland's resignation. Or, Biden was stupid enough to believe that Trump on trial during the campaign was good for himself. Not learning from the 2016 election, that Trump on the news all day every day, is not good.

[@chillquinones5362]

@jojocaswell1633 Nah I'm sorry, bit he's the Attorney General of the United States should have the independence to investigate crimes that quite frankly we were all HEARING & SEEING for months after the election=/ Only reason why he appointed Jack Smith was because of the Jan 6th. investigation conducted by congress, didn't that seem political for him to use those facts to get off his a$$ and do his job! Also I might state that by the time he appointed the special counsel EVERYONE was saying that we would be in the predicament the country finds itself in now!

[@jameshoeve4466]

We're F'd.

[@DLFfitness1]

This is nothing new. It just exposes what is. People can no longer pretend.

[@71suns]

It's way past time.

[@Magik1369]

I sense a massive uprising and revolt against this corrupt Supreme Court is building.

[@ngkahn7496]

The amicus brief needs to be amended to include this: Pose a more extreme version of the SEAL Team 6 hypothetical to SCOTUS we heard in the Court of Appeals, where a judge asked if Trump’s theory would absolve him if he used the military to take out political opponents. Take it a step further and tell the Court that if Trump has the immunity he claims he does, a president would be free to order the assassination of Supreme Court Justices who disagree with him, and could not be prosecuted for doing that. Make the impact of Trump’s argument unmistakable. Let the examples of conduct that would be permissible under Trump’s view of immunity drive home how essential it is for the Court to reject his appeal and send this case back on its way to trial. No president and no one is above the law. Source: Article written by Joyce Vance

[@cassiusdhami9215]

"If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you." - Lyndon B. Johnson

[@Stayinthelite]

So true!!! Here’s one by Mark Twain that im sure you know…“ it’s easy to fool a person rather than convince him that he has been told. “

[@Stayinthelite]

Correction been FOOLED

[@imilliemedina666]

Yeah, play that race card. Just blame whitey. It never gets old.

[@ugooko7569]

​@@TigersofSiberiaand the white man ruling now what has he done ?

[@HOHLfmly]

Supreme Court sinks to a new low, showing their willingness to enable Donald Trump. Sam Alito said well we’re not gonna get into the January 6 stuff!

[@patricialongo5870]

When😂 The Court let Kissinger and Nixon get away with the illegal bombing, the Democrats didn't act. Long ago.

[@danielcaraveo4844]

"American democracy is hypocrisy." Malcolm X. American "democracy" means rule by central bankers, big business, and a few judges.

[@chrisg5894]

Great. Malcom X, another America hating socialist! Lols

[@KrustyKlown]

It's a democratic Republic ... that's why American ain't high on the democracy rankings of countries.

[@kalijasin]

" If democracy means justice why don’t we have justice" Malcom X

[@chocomalk]

@@kalijasin It doesn't mean justice.

[@ugooko7569]

America is a Republic

[@user-ec8rn2bu5n]

Expanding the court is just as. Much of the ‘checks and balances’ as impeachment’ . SCOTUS has become radicalized . The President needs to expand SCOTUS.

[@tbessy1963]

He can do that once we have a democratic senate and house. VOTE BLUE

[@cassiusdhami9215]

Democrats: "We must vote for Joe because democracy is at stake and Trump would be no better." People: "Can Joe stop the genocide for the sake of our democracy?" Democrats: "No"!

[@paulkesler1744]

No, Joe will not stop the genocide because he depends on corporate donors for his campaign financing, and billionaire investors make huge profits from foreign weapons sales. As I see it, this would be happening regardless of who occupied the White House, because they would face the same pressure from their corporate donors that Biden faces. However, Biden's still preferable if you're a Senior Citizen like me, because Dems will try to protect what's left of Social Security, Medicare, and other domestic programs. This also depends, of course, on whether Dems win sufficiently in down-ballot races and retain some leverage in Congress. We really only have two choices. A victory by Trump and the GOP will completely privatize (or otherwise destroy) the public sector. By contrast, Dems will not pledge allegiance to the Heritage Foundation's "Project 2025" (aka "Mandate for Leadership") because as bad as they are, they're not the total pawns of Wall Street and Corporate America. By contrast, under another Trump presidency, Project 2025 will ruin most of the administrative state, including the EPA, SEC, USPS, public infrastructure, and what's left of environmental regulations. A Trump victory would also be likely to galvanize neofascist groups, pseudo-Christian fanatics and vigilante gangs, with a consequent increase in gun-and-street violence. I'm no fan of Biden -- I mostly despise the man -- but a criminal like Trump will wreck the country if given a second chance. Many would say it's wrecked already, but it could get much worse. The hard reality is that there ARE no really good choices in the electoral arena (except among third parties & independents, most of whose candidacies will get blocked, ignored, outmaneuvered or totally outspent). My personal hope lies not in the electoral arena, but in organized labor, especially the UAW and its outreach efforts.

[@patricialongo5870]

The last four Democrat presidents could have packed the court. They're conservatives.

[@ugooko7569]

The democrats are in power yet things has gone worse.They are all the same uniparty

[@PraxisArbez]

Berman should have mentioned that not only does the current system privilege smaller, more conservative states, but it also means that the vast majority of the population who live in solidly red or blue states are essentially irrelevant, the presidential elections just hang on the decisions of about a half dozen "battleground" states that are closely divided. If democracy means anything it should mean that all votes everywhere are equal.

[@NPCONSULTING247-jy3pz]

Demo means village in Greek and does only function for that size.

[@andrewsmith3257]

Yeah seriously. Try being a Democrat in the South or a Republican in California. Your vote effectively doesn't matter. It's basically a disenfranchised vote. A symbolic vote for a symbolic democracy. We are closer to a Republic than a Democracy.

[@menudobucket9837]

Someone needs to write a book called: How the Most Coveted Place to Live in the World Became the Most Dystopian

[@allyngharbi641]

Thank you for the opportunity of teaching

[@timmoore3188]

This is true, but what about the extra-constitutional two party system subverting 3rd party/independent voices?

[@ugooko7569]

Thank you they talk about Republicans as if they are any better.

[@deannaann1922]

I was 30 when I actually truly understood how our elections worked. That alone is crazy to truly think about. Then when I was younger I always thought that I didn't have to worry about voting or anything because other people more important would do it

[@RandomNooby]

"Help, we are all fuked." -Me today

[@estanceveyrac]

When you hear about the US electoral system after having been taught about the Athens & Rome's voting systems & how (especially Rome's) voting system was purposefully designed with curiae to curtail a majority vote, any pretense that the US tried to create a democratic (in the modern sense) fades away, because those flaws were well-known & studied, by scholars & anyone who received the classical education that was more standard back then than it is now, learning Greek & Latin, would have known about them at that time. They based US democracy on the Republic of Rome, a system where, among the people who were eligible to vote, the poor majority had their votes lumped together as to make them ineffective.

[@TheWayofFairness]

I am glad I have a greater power to help me from this Supreme Court.

[@ClownCarCoup]

The pope will not save you

[@rjdankert]

"We the [special] People . . . do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

[@daiu48]

A very timely and important reminder of the urgent need for complete electoral reform, based on the principle of one person one vote . The two party system no longer works. What Paul Weyrich said in 1980 was proof enough of his intention to discourage people from voting. Any change to representative democracy based on the popular vote is against the interests of the power elites. The outdated electoral college distorts the voting process. Paul Weyrich was the cofounder of the lobby group ALEC- The American Legislative Exchange Council, although unknown to the American public. In 2012/ 13 journalist Biil Moyers presented a documentary “ The United States of ALEC,” which uncovered the history of this lobbying group and its influence on American politics.

[@chubone9164]

It means they know it’s a high tech lynching. Clarance Thomas if very familiar with this method.

[@bodyloverz30]

Impeachment and trial in the US Senate, followed by criminal trial afterwards; is what is stated in the US Constitution.

[@docmartyn]

In your dreams

[@bodyloverz30]

@@docmartyn Founding Father's = your dreams!

[@janedvinsson]

My mind goes back to "Manufactoring Consent. From Wiipedia..."The title refers to consent of the governed, and derives from the phrase "the manufacture of consent" used by Walter Lippmann in Public Opinion (1922).The book was honored with the Orwell Award and it was written by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky published1988. // So it's the fight for power, which many people are not engaged in like some others, but we/you need to engage to make change.// In Sweden all that change of power to the people came from the labor movement like I hear is having great success around the automtive industry at the moment, having good leaders. Power to the people and with a good climate direction, that's good enough for me, we have to believe in humanity...I think.

[@71suns]

Instead of using the word 'people' insert the more realistic word MEN.ales continue to make 90+% of all domestic and foreign policy decisions not only in the US but globally. LOOK AROUND AND ASK YOURSELF HOW THAT'S BEEN WORKING OUT SO FAR AND FOR WHO'S PRIMARY BENEFIT.

[@janedvinsson]

@@71suns Yes, inequality between men and women has to be corrected. In Sweden women finally got voting rights as late as 1919. Sallaries are still unequal for a work that is considered to be done by a male here in Sweden, but if you are a woman working with such a "man job" you will get paid the same as a man, and if a man works with a job that is considered as a "woman job" you get paid as a woman. I combined my music playing with a "woman job" and did not earn much realtively, so now in pension, even if I many years worked 100% within a woman job, I come under substitence minimum and need to be compensated with housing allowanece.

[@myssie-theanimedevourer5835]

This man is spittin facts, y'all!

[@venusbloodflow]

💯

[@mrschnider6521]

it looks like he never got the memo that all citizens already have the right to vote no matter your gender sex or ethnicity. This been the case for many years, he doesnt understnad that the electoral colleget protects our system from having a single state commit ballot fruad and rig the election. Today the fruad needs to be very spread out and cant come from a single county. Joe biden couldnt even win a primary in the general they had to commit fraud on such a massive scale it was very easy to find massive amounts of evidence. this is why the electoral college is so important. if there isnt any fraud the popular vote and electoral college should be won by the same peopel.

[@jddwyer6089]

The Right-wingers would never allow the kinds of changes we need. Sad.

[@mrschnider6521]

the electoral college prevents a single corrupt state or county in a state to win the election by dumping a bunch of fraudulent ballots into the system. To win an election with fruad today, it needs to be a very large operation like we saw in 2020. Today liberal states have to wait till the election is over then find all the peopel that did not vote and fill our ballots on their behalf, That takes weeks and involves alot of people and even though demcrats have used the term "voting rights" to describe changes to our system that allow fruad. today most intelligent people understnad that every adult citizen already has the right to vote no matter your skin color, sex, or gender. The right wingers wont allow the changes that will destroy the system, right wingers are far more intelligent that left wingers, left wingers dont even understand any issues they are 0 issue voters. They understand when there is a problem but are too lazy and stupid to listen to both sides and make their own descision that is educated and informed. You can sit down with any liberal and tell tehm their views. They all have the same views because they have never heard any alternative or different point of view. right wingers protect left wingers from themselves. if joe biden told you you need to give up all your constituional rights because constitutional rights are racist you would not only allow it you would fight for it. You would call right wingers racist for wanting to protect the rights black people faught a civil rights movement and a civil war for. today you already do this with freeom of speech, and 2nd amendment, and indirectly your voting rights by backing legislation that allows fraud not understanding that if right wingers votes do not count neither do yours and if they dont have politcal power neigther do you. This is why left wingers MUST be met with serious opposition, They are profoundly ignorant and have a VERY long record of bringing failure and misery everywhere they go. The top 1% already pays 45% of all income tax, the government is taking every thing from people and it is creating massive corruption and funding war all over the world. every dollar someone doesnt pay in taxes is a dollar that doesnt go toward war and murder. Instead it goes to creating products and services and thigns that are useful for the people and make their lives better. these people live in a fact free zone, when is the last time you saw a left winger win a debate, this is why they DO NOt have republicans on ever, its because they do not beleive in what they are saying and know they couldnt win a debate on any issue. This guy thinks that school choice is racist, some how forcing a kid to spend his life in a school system they hate is not racist. republicans want to allow poeple to choose their schools, the reaason why these schools suck is ebcause they have no insentive to make them work. You cannot fail classes of kids year after year in a charter or private school and still exist. liberal politicals vote against school choice while they send their own kids ot private schools. The reason why these peopel try so hard to discredit the supreme county is ebcause its the only institution that has not been corrupted and they cannot win if they cant cheat.

[@Arisaem]

I call it SCROTUS at this point.

[@ClownCarCoup]

What does the R stand for?

[@PulverturmZA]

​@@ClownCarCoupRepublican, or ridiculous, but the whole word it makes is the joke.

[@chrisg5894]

What would you call scotus if it was majority liberal/socialist? You just don’t like it because they’re FOR liberty and not cheerleading for the genocide of babies….

[@Pl-ax0]

Scrotum lmao

[@keysemerson3771]

Let's reform the antiquated systems and upgrade and update our democracy. Yes, Yes, Yes.

[@PraxisArbez]

Madison's Virginia Plan at the Constitutional Convention called for legislative representation to be apportioned according to each state's population but that is NOT the same a calling for proportional representation, which is the term Berman uses at ~8 min. PR distributes representatives in proportional to a party's percent of the vote, some form of it is in use in the majority of the world's republics. What he was advocating, I believe, is the same first-past-the-post single member districts we currently have which ends up leading to a situation where there are only 2 significant parties like we have in the US today: its not just a bad idea, its Duverger's Law. Real proportional representation has its problems, but it leads to much more diverse & representative legislative bodies.

[@heynowls3058]

Ari nails it. Always does. Will be buying his book asap.

[@cbgames3945]

😂😂

[@chrisg5894]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@LetsGoGetThem]

He forgot to mention how undemocratic First Past the Post is too. Unless FPTP is abolished, every judge will be appointed either by a center-right or center-left party, which does not reflect the diversity of political opinion in such a massive country like America.

[@arnoackermann6584]

How many years before the republic falls?

[@chrisg5894]

Not many if libtard socialists keep getting people to vote for them

[@jessikabat6200]

I fear that it already has

[@DirtRider999]

Majority is suppossed to rule. Thats the point. Minorities are majority in their own homes. Stay there

[@ugooko7569]

That's the American system for 200 years plus did you just figured that out?

[@richardcalderwood9250]

Founded on manifest destiny same thing as Israel

[@Aleksamson]

Manifest destiny? What about Mexico, Argentina, Brazil...etc.? Do you think that Brazil was a gift from native people? Do you think that warfare, conquest, slavery or genocide were invented by white europeans? Or just that some ppl. are more savage than others, that ppl. with lighter skin colour are worse? There's a word for that kind of thinking - judging ppl. based on their skin colour. Same thing as Israel ? You should question education system or/and your worldview, ideology. How do you think Lebanon, Syria, Jordan...came to be? Or you don't care about those -other "western colonial projects" ?

[@d.w.stratton4078]

Well! Amy had made me fundamentally sad and angry for the day. Prison gerrymandering has got me TURNT

[@loisk6186]

Everyone should watch this segment. What we learned in 3rd grade is unfortunately not true. U.S, history is not clean, pure, righteous. "Racism is baked in." That statistic -- After the Constitution was ratified in 1790, the biggest state (Virginia) had 12 times the population of the smallest state (Delaware) but now the biggest state (California) has 67 times the population of the smallest state (Wyoming) -- is an important argument why our system of the number of senators and the electoral college now need to be changed because we have gotten SO FAR away from "one person one vote".

[@patricialongo5870]

Institutions bringing racism from our past? That's crt. No saying that! You are dismissed for critical race theory use.

[@chrisg5894]

Yup, the liberal democrats have always been pro slavery. You didn’t realize it before you made your comment, but democrats were the party of slavery. They’re still to this day keeping blacks down….

[@ComradeHB]

Parenti wrote on this decades ago

[@ShawnBakhtiar]

We live in an indirect democracy (a republic). We are a collection of states that have formed a Republic of THESE United States. This is what states rights means, which this author seems to completely ignore. He has never chopped wood, or carried a pail of water, yet absolutely believes that he knows what the farmer needs.

[@Aleksamson]

When bridge collapses, engineer will feel consequences. When academics reshape society - leading to disastrous outcome, know-it-all "good doers" don't pay a price, financial or reputational.

[@wynetsang]

Rules have to be made by a few people [minority] because it is much easier to get consensus from a minority. The rule is made for the majority to follow because it is impossible to get many people [majority] to agree. Therefore, the majority is always ruled by the minority.

[@allyngharbi641]

Could be a small fraction of? I will think

[@cassiusdhami9215]

"Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It’s the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life’s joy in a mad scramble for power. For identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel." - Loki Odinson

[@patricialongo5870]

They're not going to be a democracy, they're a Republic! And they're imposing democracy using war in many places.

[@dJ-dd4gs]

No chance a pure true democracy could ever exist.

[@piku5637]

Normalize Medicare For All, Ⓐctive tenant’s unions☭ and housing co-ops. America🇺🇸is the only major country on Earth without universal healthcare.🚑🏥🏡

[@docmartyn]

The Rich have insurance so they don’t care! And they the country! I moved to a a poor country with free medical and education! ❤ leave the USA ITS CORRUPT TO THE CORE

[@sonosmusica]

Mass killings under ☭ regimes - 65 million people died prematurely under communist regimes according to demographers, and those deaths were a result of "mass deportations, forced labor camps and police-state terror" but mostly "from starvation as a result of its cruel projects of social engineering."

[@VeganTrove]

Its a uniparty two cheeks of the same backside

[@JohnM51982]

Best interview on the state of our nation to date. This is what our president should say in front of Congress.

[@cassiusdhami9215]

America: Doing so incredibly little, with so very much since 1776.

[@spankyssurprise1361]

Then leave.

[@tptmh23]

@@spankyssurprise1361 Oh no, far be it from anybody to criticize the US government when the media and our elected officials were praising Alexi Navalny for speaking out against and standing up to Putin.

[@valaotto7]

@spanky VERY SAD U STILL THINK THAT WOULD HELP USA future

[@richardcalderwood9250]

Ignore the Supreme Court Texas Mississippi Alabama

[@richardcalderwood9250]

👍👍👍

[@DoubleFool-xt4su]

Great interview and great important information. Well done.

[@chrisg5894]

😂. “Great interview”? This lady has been a socialist cheerleader her whole life, and she’s super hypocritical. It’s ok for Biden to commit crimes and be corrupt, but not ok for Trump to do his job just because you don’t like him? 😂

[@joen7795]

From another website: Ari Berman. Ari Berman is a Jewish American. I wonder what Ron Unz would think of his ideas. Ari Berman could focus on democracy in the Jewish state of Israel where Palestinians have never had civil rights for 75 years of illegal occupation. Thus in modern history, not 160 years ago, a Palestinian counts as zero per cent of a person with zero rights. Genocide is seen as an option toward Palestinians by "modern" Israeli leaders who invoke the Amalek solution of "kill them all". What do you think?

[@chocomalk]

1:40 he already was on trial for that and was acquitted, what?

[@robwendt2462]

Thanks Ari

[@itssanti]

I don't think nothing like the Electoral College exists in any other democratic country outside the US. What does exist is the counter democratic senate in several countries. Democracy is very limited in every country that has some kind of electoral democracy. But arguably, even if you have one person one vote kind of democracy, that doesn't mean you will end up with a truly democratic society, plenty of examples demonstrate this. Concentrated power makes its way even in countries where the majority is alleged to be represented through elections. Argentina is a very good example, Basil's Bolsonaro, Fujimori in Peru during the 90s. No matter the system, majority rule through the ballot almost never reflects the will of the majority who voted, elected officials are prone to lying and flipping once they are in power. To democratize, you need not only the vote, but also important decision making processes to be decided by the people.

[@brothermine2292]

Berman doesn't understand the real cause of minority rule. Few people understand it, because Social Choice Theory is taught only at a few top universities (Caltech, Harvard, MIT, etc) to political science majors. The real cause of minority rule is the use of primitive voting methods that count only one majority (or one plurality). When only one majority (or plurality) is counted, it can often be a coalition of minorities on different issues, which undermines majority rule on those issues and on many other issues too. Counting only one majority (or plurality) is also highly prone to spoiling... even when there are only two candidates, because when those two run it deters "better compromise" candidates from running, who would win head-to-head contests over both of those two. For instance, Larry Hogan would defeat Biden head-to-head, and Larry Hogan would crush Trump head-to-head by a landslide. But in a 3-way race, it would falsely appear that Hogan is least popular. A recent example is the August 2022 special election in Alaska, in which Nick Begich finished in 3rd place using Ranked Choice Voting. Ranked Choice Voting counted only one majority -- the 52% who ranked Mary Peltola over Sarah Palin -- and failed to count the majority who ranked Begich over Peltola and the majority who ranked Begich over Palin. It defeated extremist Palin by only a narrow margin, but she would have been crushed if the large majority who ranked Begich over Palin had also been counted. The importance of counting multiple head-to-head majorities is understood by the world's most widely used voting method: the Robert's Rules procedure for voting on motions. To eliminate N-1 of N alternatives, Robert's Rules counts N-1 head-to-head majorities. Counting multiple head-to-head majorities is what makes Robert's Rules reasonably effective at defeating minority-preferred policies. Robert's Rules says the use of Plurality Rule is usually not in an organization's best interests. But Plurality Rule is the voting method that Ari Berman would have us use to elect the President and Senators (and everyone else), as long as the "one person, one vote" principle he talks about is satisfied. Getting states to switch to a voting method that counts all the head-to-head majorities is MUCH more important than correcting minor violations of the "one person, one vote" principle.

[@paulkesler1744]

Robert A. Dahl makes some of the same points in HOW DEMOCRATIC IS THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION. Even Dahl, however, doesn't specifically cite Robert's Rules, at least not in this book.

[@brothermine2292]

>paulkesler1744 : The Robert's Rules procedure for voting on motions has been thoroughly studied by political scientists, who call the procedure Sequential Pairwise voting or Pairwise Elimination. It's related to the ubiquitous single elimination tournaments used in many sports, where N-1 of N teams are eliminated using N-1 head-to-head matches; however sports use a _balanced_ binary tree (which minimizes the number of "byes") and Robert's Rules uses an unbalanced binary tree. Counting ALL of the head-to-head majorities and paying attention to their sizes is better than Robert's Rules' counting of only N-1 of the head-to-head majorities and ignoring their sizes. All of the head-to-head majorities can be counted using a single round of voting -- no primary elections or runoffs are needed -- by letting each voter rank the candidates in order of preference. The order of finish should be constructed by processing the head-to-head majorities one at a time, from largest majority to smallest majority, placing each majority's more-preferred candidate ahead of their less-preferred candidate in the order of finish. Game theory shows that voting method would create a strong incentive for politicians to support majority-preferred policies on many more issues, because a candidate X who supports a minority-preferred policy P creates an opportunity for another candidate Y to enter the race, support the majority-preferred policy Q, and on other issues support the same policies that X supports, in which case a majority of voters would tend to rank Y over X, causing X to finish no higher than second in the order of finish. It would reliably defeat extremists, and would lead to the end of political polarization. It would effectively eliminate spoiling, end the two party system, settle issues that primitive voting methods are unable to settle, and allow future elections to focus on new issues. Here's a variation of that voting method that would be as simple as possible for the voters: Instead of each voter expressing his/her order of preference, each _candidate_ would publish an order of preference a couple of weeks before Election Day. On Election Day, each voter would simply select one candidate, and his/her ballot would be tallied as if it expressed the ordering published by his/her selected candidate. For example, suppose Bernie Sanders and Larry Hogan were running too, and suppose Sanders published the ordering "Sanders Biden Hogan Trump." Then each voter who votes for Sanders would be counted as if they'd expressed Sanders' order of preference, and they'd be fully counted in each of the six head-to-head pairings: for Sanders over Biden, for Sanders over Hogan, for Sanders over Trump, for Biden over Hogan, for Biden over Trump, and for Hogan over Trump. But it should be noted that politicians' policies would be very different due to the much stronger incentive to support majority-preferred policies -- Medicare-for-All, higher minimum wage, abortion rights, etc -- so Sanders would presumably have other, better politicians to rank over Biden and the others.

[@paulkesler1744]

@@brothermine2292 So the (rhetorical) question is why these alternatives aren't being implemented in the U.S.. Over time, both Presidential and Congressional authority have been usurped by the Supreme Court, and neither of the first two branches have posed significant opposition. Which is why "Santa Clara County vs. Southern Pacific Railroad" (1886) hasn't been overturned in more than a century, or "Buckley vs. Vallejo" (1976) or "Citizens United" (2010). These decisions gave corporations the rights of persons under the 14th Amendment, and why they've largely captured the federal government as well as the electoral process. Truth is, we've had these electoral alternatives for decades, but the *true* rulers (not politicians, but the billionaire investors who buy the viable candidates), do not want alternatives. Your suggestions are excellent, but their chances for implementation in America are meager to nonexistent. Our best chances, in my view, lie not in the electoral arena at all, but in labor activism, which has surged enormously over the last two years. But labor will also have to recruit community alliances; otherwise, the fascist collusion of corporate and government power will shut it down.

[@CyberspacedLoner]

The United States needs a New Constitutional Convention and a New Constitution that creates a Modern Western Secular Liberal Democracy with Rule of Law, Separation of Powers, Civil Rights, Free and Fair Elections, Independent and Non-Partisan; Courts of Law, Media and Officials of Administrative State,

[@bigtobacco1098]

Majority rule is just two wolves voting with a lamb on who's for supper

[@fifi6563]

Not all violations are the same.

[@dharriusthun]

Get rid of the electoral college and institute a policy of popular vote wins. Problem solved.

[@solembrando7928]

Estou muito feliz em ver os ianquis desesperados por estarem imersos na pior crise dos sionistas tanto econômica como moral

[@kendallwalls9167]

We will not let Gaza die on our watch ✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾

[@rundmv6534]

That yapper was cooking like a chef

[@vectorfox4782]

Pack the court. Cmon you promised.

[@urmwhynot]

Democracy in no measure except by name

[@deborahd.7281]

Here's a clue, it is The United States of America, not The United People of America. This country was formed by the first 13 states. The presidential election is not a national popular vote, it is the vote of the states. Each state has equal rights to other states regardless of population to make their laws.

[@marlenesoifer7219]

Thankyou so much for this information ℹ dont thinkvso

[@Black_2_Def]

"Plutocracy Rule"

[@allyngharbi641]

Now I am getting interested

[@garrystokes1432]

These republican justices are going to help Trump in order to keep breaking the law themselves

[@chrisg5894]

Wow. And Biden shouldn’t be held to the same standards for his career of corruption and crimes? Lols

[@ronaldgum6409]

1:35 not the supreme Court's problem.

[@oghyeahoo6165]

Who knew everything is racist !?

[@bargdaffy1535]

Well if the Majority of Americans weren't so ignorant and uninformed this probably wouldn't be a problem. It is still mostly a Money Problem, the Oligarchs own the Government and Both Right Wing Corporate Parties.

[@mns8732]

Wrong: they all represent the majority of the 20 percent of Americans for whom.most laws are passed for their benefit. Look, Princeton University concluded after studying our current system that it is in practicality a oligarchy, which are the constituency of the SCOTUS. And Btw, the party who nominates a judge doesnt always receives the decesions it desires. But, hey, the author gotta sell his book. Thats showbizz

[@DaniellesPlace1]

You need to have more than a one-sided conversation.

[@HoopHooper]

Swear that thing on his head moved twice

[@Mohammadreza-rp8oh]

Thank you. So much for. Your struggles to achieve to democracy for. All humanity.....best regards...from Iran country,🎉❤ 4:36

[@BluntBrazenCurt_Evolved]

They suppress true democracy by not talking to the people about how close independents are to beating Biden 🔥

[@jaydinledford6990]

Fascinating

[@catchacase593]

0:28 facts

[@nickiseb8910]

You get what you voted for. The day that you have a sort of popular vote and the States in the US loses their autonomy...? Nothing will happen, nothing will change. Making this issue a white contra colour surly doesn't help. Do the E.U. have a popular vote? No but they still are democratic countries in a democratic federal union.

[@jillowens1867]

Ranked voting!

[@michaelRay2576]

This speaker & author is very knowledgeable of historic events. Thanks Democracy Now 👍🏼👍🏽

[@casandrareed4733]

Certainly not a representation of the principles of democracy.

[@marlenesoifer7219]

Think so

[@tombradburn3935]

And yet people stonewall any talk of rewriting our constitution.

[@patricialongo5870]

Education in the US always means you are a good jingoist. Otherwise you can't earn a place earning your pay and you are homeless.

[@makimomoo]

Ari Berman, is an of example of another Jew that is contributing significantly to our society. In a positive way. The vast majority of Jewish people are. That’s why, I am of the opinion that only the Jews can save the Palestinian people. We all need to live together in harmony and Palestine can be that place for all concerned. Not under Jewish rule and definitely not under Islamic rule.

[@Wetcamerainc]

democracy is already dead :(

[@reginaerekson9139]

8:30 legally or ethically that takes us to indigenous peoples- but if you really want to go back- it’s Adam and Eve and a single land mass called Pangea It’s important to clarify that your BioGegraphical Ancestry is not the same as defining your “race” or “ethnicity.” There are many situations where you may be asked to identify your race-perhaps on a job or college application, or when being interviewed about your medical history, or perhaps as part of an awkward conversation with an acquaintance. There is no exact or widely accepted definition of “race” and perceptions of “ethnicity” can change over time, even on a personal level of interpretation. “Race” and “ethnicity” are not biological concepts, but are social constructs that are influenced as much by cultural factors as they are by genetic ones. By contrast, your BioGeographical Ancestry is a research-grade estimation of your genetic ancestry, regardless of culture. In this way, your BioGeographical Ancestry is entirely independent of ethnic labels or racial categories. Instead, your BioGeographical Ancestry describes you in terms of your ancestral proportions that are based on human evolution and geographical history. The percentages in your BioGeographical Ancestry Report represent your genetic affiliations that are driven by both genealogy and anthropology. We will briefly review the anthropological history of human migration that led to the population affiliations we use to identify Ancestry in the next section. Cri genetics- does your moms dna - the others just do your dad…. Patriarchy!🖕🏼

[@valaotto7]

In late 60s when I learned of the "Electorial" college (as a KID) I HAVE BEEN PROTESTING AND DEBATING with most Americans of exactly these issues. The positive thing in all this is FINALLY IT FEELS LIKE WE THE PEOPLE might make changes

[@JOHNSJOHNS-ko7jl]

Too late !

[@kitrussell9358]

YOU CRY ONE , AND THEN THE OTHER WHEN IT HOES YOUR WAY !! CAN YOU SAY HIPPOS ???

[@71suns]

Liking your own comment is hysterical littletrolltot

[@spankyssurprise1361]

No it's the result of normal constitutional procedures.

[@Pandora234able]

Remember, Democrats need to give us something to vote for rather than “lesser of two evils”. Electoralism is dead, anyway.

[@weston.weston]

We appreciate your important work, Ari. You're doing "God's work."

[@ricofede8]

This country has been claiming that it is the oldest democracy, and with this analysis, seems that is not true.

[@phillipspackman]

This guy needs to go on the list for treason. You do know we can tell who is who now lol.

[@DoubleFool-xt4su]

The only one USa citizens that have all USA Courts under his favor for been and ex president maybe. Donald Trump even with he has done in USA he is no able to be put in jail in USA and maybe huge money is been invest on this matters also behind any office maybe.

[@jeffrhorer1811]

Immunity would be for Biden as well. He could take out Trump and maga leaders and have immunity. Is this what they want?