Progressive Era Shift To Multiparty System: Results?

Technocrat

Banned
Suppose, along the lines of the "Wacky Alt Progressive Reforms" or Jello Biafra's "Reds", the US shifts to a parliamentary system of representation in the Progressive Era.

Whether one considers a butterfly-free repeat of world history, more or less the same events with different small details, or radically different consequences for the world, what might the impact on US political parties be?

I think it would be interesting to consider the way parties could develop in a multiparty US, especially during the turbulent social shifts bound to happen in any version of the 20th century with a POD after 1900.
 

Cook

Banned
Australia introduced Preferential Voting Federally in 1919.

Given that America had followed Australia’s lead with the secret ballot in the 19th century, perhaps a move away from first past the post towards preferential voting isn’t so outlandish.
 

archaeogeek

Banned
Keeping districts "at large" might help for multipartism: Connecticut had one until 1837, Hawai'i was the last state with one which had to be divided up with the 1971 census because of the 1965 Voting rights act.

A different voting rights act in favor of at large districts?
 

Thande

Donor
I don't think they have to change to a parliamentary system, which is probably ASB due to American emotional investment in their constitutional apparatus, they just have to change to a proportional voting system, which isn't - especially considering many OTL proportional voting systems were actually invented by American founding fathers as proposals.
 
I don't think they have to change to a parliamentary system, which is probably ASB due to American emotional investment in their constitutional apparatus, they just have to change to a proportional voting system, which isn't - especially considering many OTL proportional voting systems were actually invented by American founding fathers as proposals.


I thought those were House seat apportionment proposals?
 
I don't think they have to change to a parliamentary system, which is probably ASB due to American emotional investment in their constitutional apparatus, they just have to change to a proportional voting system, which isn't - especially considering many OTL proportional voting systems were actually invented by American founding fathers as proposals.

Americans making amendments to their Constitution is ASB? :eek:

To answer the OP; in short, you'll see a large 'socialist' (progressive?) party form and eventually be a major player in governement, as seen throughout the rest of the industralized world. Perhaps a US that is more aligned with western European social-liberal states. Or at least a social-liberal state with American characteristics ;)
 
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