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Day HK, Your time to do some explaining. What is with your crazy never ending election campaigns. We have a month from when they announce an election and because its party based you actually get to hear some policies.You seem to spend forever voting on a person who then can't get anything done cos everyones concerned about the next election that they're going to start campaigning for!

And really, flipping a coin! Seriously!

Mind you, they made it compulsory for us to vote here cos most people wouldn't bother! Rather be down the beach!

Phil - It is the way it is because the American public and the two major political parties have allowed it to remain this way. It is not necessarily better than your form of government, but it is not necessarily worse either. The US is a republic form of representative democracy with a tri-partite structure where is branch is roughly equal in power to the other two. Additionally the legislative branch is bicameral which in theory assures that the federal govt based legislation on state's needs and federal needs. As far as owing the world an explanation - we do not. No more so than any country owes us an explanation.

Compulsory voting is likely to never happen in the US. Personally, I find that repugnant.

just to clarify - I find compulsory voting repugnant. Mandating it is based on the assumption that at least one candidate is qualified - which is not necessarily true.

KnightTime - gee, thanks for all that. And the question was directed at me, not you. Some background for you: Phil & I have been 'culture sharing' - so your 'no country owes any other an explanation' was hmmm, I want to say rude, at least, then again don't want to stir up too much trouble. Let's just say you were not completely aware of the situation.

Phil, here is the correct answer: We as human beings are all flawed. Everyone thinks they can do a better job than the next guy. There are many, many things that suck about our system, but also many great things. KT points out the 3 branches of gov't, as system of checks & balances, which in theory ought to work great. As flawed (greedy) humans, we tend to screw that up a great deal, look up 'lobbyists.'

Being born of 2 people who fought WWII from beginning to end, my name belies it, but I am 100% Polish - I hold many ideas which are not common to the regular American.

The idea of compulsory voting is interesting on many levels. KT makes a good point, the elections in 3rd world countries also make a good, if opposing, point.

Having served as an election judge for dozens & dozens of years, the low voter turnout is extremely disheartening, to say the least. If voting were compulsory, we would still be there today, counting the # of write-in votes for Mickey Mouse :)

Phil, I cannot explain the time frame of the thing - it is beyond ridiculous! A huge waste of time, effort, resources . . . yet another thing which makes me embarrassed about this country. I find it extremely sad.

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instead of compulsory voting, how about there being a minimum IQ to either vote, or more importantly, to run for office

and more importantly....why doesn't my autofil work anymore!!!

I once discussed the absurd time frame and expense of our ridiculous campaign situation with a Republican, who assured me that all the expense was good for our economy!!
The entire election process needs to be revisited, along (perhaps) with the Constitutiton itself. It's been an awfully long time. This is a different world now.

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ugh Doren, how did you not end up in jail?

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just a whole day of mis-clicking :(