RE: Introduction Questions

[Donald Roy <royd@ferris.edu>]

Someone may have done research showing the considerable lack of competitiveness in our elections (no opposition or less than 40% of the vote for the loser in a two-way race)and this can be related to the enormous amounts of money needed to be a challenger.  For the US House about 16% of the seats are uncontested.  (Opponents of campaign spending regulations oftentimes argue that it will hurt challengers.)  Competitiveness and choice are central values of our political culture.  I am not surprised that in our state legislatures that the political parties have entered into relationships (such as the one you describe)to split up the pie.  The money race in effect locks into place a bipartisan political establishment.  Democracy suffers.