I have no idea how true this is? It is just a random shower thought.

It may be more true where I am in Canada than in the US? Here, senators are essentially appointed for life. I understand US senators are elected but have longer terms and generally more stable careers than their counterparts? In either case, there seems to be a lot of prestige that comes with the position.

  • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.org
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    14
    ·
    edit-2
    1 day ago

    6 years per term, here, but no term limits. Combine that with name recognition, low-information voters, and “the devil you know”, and they’re basically / de-facto appointed for life, as you say. They can and have been voted out before, but it seems to be rare these days. Usually they retire (Manchin, supposedly), resign (Franken), or die of old age in office (Feinstein, Byrd).

    • sunzu2@thebrainbin.org
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      9
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 day ago

      Being ruled by gereatrics is grand. We got things like maternity leave and good health care!

  • slazer2au@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    1 day ago

    In the UK the house of Lords is like that but in Australia the upper house has 6 year terms and have to go for reelection. Seats change all the time. Very few are safe seats.

    • tunetardisOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      1 day ago

      I think the Canadian system is very much modelled after the UK?

      That’s interesting about Australia though. Btw I understand Australia has a ranked voting system in elections? Curious about how well that works. Our first-past-the-post is a nightmare with vote-splitting sending the “wrong” representative to the capital.

        • tunetardisOP
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          1 day ago

          But doesn’t it resolve the vote-splitting problem? For example, a common scenario here is you have a right-wing candidate winning in a a left-leaning district because the left’s vote is split across more than one political party. Wouldn’t a ranked system solve that dilemma once all the dust has settled?

          • Randomgal
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            1 day ago

            Pretty sure the guy you’re answering to has no idea what he’s talking about. Lol