Electoral Reform in Utah and the United States: Steps to Representative, Accountable, and Competitive State and Federal Government
Abstract
In a state and nation in which faith in government is eroding, and politics are dominated by either partisan supermajorities (in Utah) or ideological stalemate (in Congress), there is an increasingly clear need to reform the system at its roots. The adoption of a more competitive, accountable, and representative electoral system would help address the problems which are endemic to our current legislative process. Specifically, three-member districts, in which representatives are elected through a modified form of single transferable voting, would best fit the needs of our state and nation. The new voting method would cause both legislatures to more closely represent the electorate, while the relatively small number of seats per district would maintain high levels of accountability and local representation.
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