Abstentionist Congress

[HueyLong]

Is there any way to have the Irish practice of abstentionism from the British Parliament carried over into the Congressional system?

What I mean by this is a large minority electing Congressmen or Senators, and having those representatives refuse to attend sessions in Washington D.C.?

 

[LightInfa]

Is there any way to have the Irish practice of abstentionism from the British Parliament carried over into the Congressional system?

What I mean by this is a large minority electing Congressmen or Senators, and having those representatives refuse to attend sessions in Washington D.C.?

Can't the Congressional leaders force members of Congress to attend so that a quorum can be achieved?

 

[Philip]

Is there any way to have the Irish practice of abstentionism from the British Parliament carried over into the Congressional system?

What I mean by this is a large minority electing Congressmen or Senators, and having those representatives refuse to attend sessions in Washington D.C.?

From the US Constitution:

Each House shall be the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members, and a majority of each shall constitute a quorum to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the attendance of absent members, in such manner, and under such penalties as each House may provide.

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Since a simple majority constitutes a quorum, a minority (even a large one) refusing to attend does not force the hand of the majority. It could still cause political problems.

 

[Philip]

Can't the Congressional leaders force members of Congress to attend so that a quorum can be achieved?

Yes. However, I don't know how this would play in the media. Would those compelling the others to attend be portrayed as 'mean'? Would those refusing to attend be portrayed as obstructionists?

 

[David S Poepoe]

What I mean by this is a large minority electing Congressmen or Senators, and having those representatives refuse to attend sessions in Washington D.C.?

A Congress member wanting to spend more time with his constituents than away from them in Washington D.C.? That would be bizarre.

 

[Jasen777]

The Democrats and the Texas Legislature tried this to protest redistricting, and fled to New Mexico and Oklahoma to avoid being forced to attend. A compromise was reached eventually.

Perhaps you could see it in a longer run up to a civil war where the Southern representatives don't bother showing up.

 

[Anaxagoras]

The Democrats and the Texas Legislature tried this to protest redistricting, and fled to New Mexico and Oklahoma to avoid being forced to attend. A compromise was reached eventually.

Actually, no. The Democrats were eventually forced to give in when the governor called multiple special sessions, one after the other, in order to force the redistricting plan through. It wasn't a compromise- the Democrats lost.

 

[HueyLong]

Note that in the British example, Parliament was not shut down or even really changed. But certain politicians of the Irish nationalist movement got themselves elected and then refused to meet in Parliament. It didn't really force a point, as they were so few, but it did make a point to their constituents, and was a pretty good symbolic blow.

Abstentionism is standing for election to a deliberative assembly while refusing to take up any seats won or otherwise participate in the assembly's business. Abstentionism differs from an election boycott in that abstentionists participate in the election itself. Abstentionism has been used by Irish nationalist political movements in the United Kingdom and Ireland since the early 19th century.

I'm personally planning on using it in LoD, and wanted to hear thoughts on it.

 

[Lord Grattan]

Carl Levin was first elected our US Senator by beating the incumbant Robert Griffin. Griffin had decided not to run for re-election and stopped showing up for work on Capitol Hill, thus missing many important votes. He decided to re-enter the race a month later, and when he did the Levin campaign used that against him successfully. Mitch McConnell beat Senator Dee Huddleston using the same issues. His commercials showed bloodhounds sniffing around in the woods while the narrator asked, "where's Dee?."

 

[Matthais Corvinus]

The Irish MP's who refused to attend the British Parliament constituted themselves as the Irish Dial if I'm not mistaken.

So if the Southern Reps enmass leave Congress, then it would be about the same thing I guess?

 

[Jasen777]

Actually, no. The Democrats were eventually forced to give in when the governor called multiple special sessions, one after the other, in order to force the redistricting plan through. It wasn't a compromise- the Democrats lost.

You're right, I seem to have gotten it mixed up with a different redistricting fight.

 

[Nicomacheus]

You're right, I seem to have gotten it mixed up with a different redistricting fight.

They did do it twice, IIRC. And it's something of a tradition (or re-occuring oddity) in Texas politics. I remember one instance in which the legislators were though to have gone out of state, but were actually hiding in a garage in Austin with a couple coolers of beer. It took the Texas Rangers a couple of days to find them!