On Tue, 9 Aug 2005 01:38:50 -0500, "Morris Dovey" wrote:

Mark & Juanita (in ) said:

| On Mon, 8 Aug 2005 15:00:59 -0500, "Morris Dovey"
| wrote:
|
|| Another idea that I like is limiting the number of laws that can
|| be on the books at any time (I'd go for fewer than 100) so that,
|| once the limit is reached, no new law can be added without
|| repealing a less valued existing law.
||
|| I think that I might also like to see a process by which laws
|| could be repealed by popular referendum once they're considered no
|| longer useful.
|
| Perhaps more in keeping with the ideals of our Republic rather
| than a democracy would be the addition of a third body to congress.
| This third body would only be charged with repealing laws passed by
| the other two bodies. In the case of repeal, a simple majority
| would be required from this house and no presidential veto would be
| applicable, the law would need to be re-proposed through the
| standard process. Inefficient? Yep, by design, it means that those
| who wanted certain laws in effect would have to both lobby for the
| passage of the law and against repeal of said law. The original
| bodies of congress would be spending some significant amount of
| time re-considering legislation that had been previously passed
| (sometimes second and third revisions of anything are better
| models), and finally, only laws that had overwhelming support would
| be kept --- not a bad thing.
|
| One other possible job for this body -- it would also be
| authorized with the authority to set aside Supreme Court decisions
| -- for this function, a 2/3 majority would be required and
| presidential veto with veto over-ride of some larger majority (say
| 75%) would be authorized. This would perhaps add the balance that
| appears to be missing in our time, and do away with the social
| engineering and legislating from the bench that seems to be the
| penchant of the courts these days.

This third chamber approach has considerable appeal. I first
encountered this suggestion in a RAH novel and think the model is
extremely worthy of serious consideration.

.... snip

"The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" IIRC. I have also encountered this
suggestion in other places as well. I really think it has considerable
merit.




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If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough

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