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Charles's avatar

What if congress voted in secret?

Asked by Charles (4826points) April 20th, 2012

What do you think the results would be if the House and Senate voted in secret? Would it mirror the way it is now (voting along party lines with a few going along with opposite party) or would voting in secret produce wildly different results in Congress?

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12 Answers

ETpro's avatar

We might expect fewer straight party line votes, but it would also open the door for direct corruption. Well heeled special interests could pay for a certain vote to be taken directing vast Federal resources to themselves for their enrichment, and every legislator could claim to have voted Nay. It doesn’t fit at all with the democratic process, which relies on openness and transparency.

Dr_Lawrence's avatar

Government is barely accountable under current situation, Secret votes would eliminate all accountability!

Jaxk's avatar

One of the rare occurrences where I agree with @ETpro . To make matters worse we would be left with the politicians word for what he is doing in congress. We wouldn’t know how he voted. In other words, there would be no track record to verify. I smell corruption of the worse kind (not that there’s a good kind).

wundayatta's avatar

If Congress voted in secret, this country probably would no longer exist.

Blondesjon's avatar

Don’t you mean openly voted in secret.

ETpro's avatar

@wundayatta Oh it would exist, it would just be a banana republic owned by a small handful of oligarchs who were, when secret voting was instituted, billionaires with the means and desire to mount a hostile takeover.

wundayatta's avatar

No, @ETpro, I don’t think people would stand for that. There’d be a revolution. We’d have a different country. One where our elected officials had to do their work in public.

ETpro's avatar

@wundayatta Thanks to the Second Amendment.

Nullo's avatar

@ETpro That’s old-fashioned. These days it’s all torches and pitchforks. If Battleship Potemkin is any indicator, we’ll all become able to deflect bullets with our patriotic fervor and manly Russian pecs.

ETpro's avatar

@Nullo Sorry to disappoint you, but Battleship Potemkin is not any indicator. Tha Matrix shows us a world where all the laws of physics are suspended for those with “skills”. They can walk upside down on the ceiling, fly, move faster than sound. And yet a single bullet kills them. Oh please!

AngryWhiteMale's avatar

What makes you think they’re not already doing that? All the backroom deals, committee meetings, etc., then they go out there and put on a dog and pony show for the C-SPAN cameras. The entire system is broken.

likipie's avatar

It might get different results because the people voting wouldn’t have to keep appearances up as much, but I don’t really think it would make that big a difference, honestly.

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