What are your thoughts about the filibuster? Many (most?) liberals believe that Republicans would rapidly eliminate it if there's unified GOP government after the 2012 elections and Democrats follow the GOP filibuster-everything strategy...do you agree? Do you think they should?
The filibuster should be limited to certain types of legislation. Not everything on the docket.
ReplyDeleteSmall government conservatives should never undermine the filibuster, in the long run it makes it very difficult for new government programs to get launched. Large-scale cutbacks in exising government programs are very, very difficult politically to achieve; the beneficiaries of the programs are generally vocal and well-organized. The only viable method to hold down government spending as a percentage of GDP is to defeat new government programs, and with the filibuster this is often fairly easy to accomplish. So the Senate filibuster is a key element in preventing the USA from attaining European levels of government spending, and for keeping the welfare state a bit on the stingy side.
ReplyDeleteNon-conservative here. Conservatives are going to be upset with the middle class tax hikes that the GOP are going to push through Congress and the GOP coalition is going to collapse in time for the '14 midterms. They won't be overly interested in the fact that the republicans got rid of the filibuster... Mostly they'll be very interested in how they don't get all the government handouts they currently enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThe key is that the filibuster should exist when the Democrats control the Senate, but not when Republicans do. If they can find some facially neutral form that achieves that in practice, I will be content.
ReplyDeleteWell, there you go.
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ReplyDeleteThe Democrats would never follow such a strategy, so it's something of a moot point.
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