Try this one
cspanrm.fplive.net:554/ramgen/cspan/ndrive/archive/iraq/iraq073103_biden.rm
CSPAN sometimes moves recent files to more "archiving" servers.
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Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) Speech on Iraq Policy
At the Brookings Institution, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Joseph Biden (D-DE)
delivers an address on U.S. policy in Iraq.
7/31/2003: WASHINGTON, DC: 1 hr. 15 min.
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CSPAN, searching for Biden
c-span.org
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Yes, the two-party system is the "root" to many "strange behaviors" in US government as well as among americans.
The basic mechanisms for achiving a two-party system is first the singe-seat-districts, but US additionally (ref UK) other mechanismes like campaign financing, access to ballots and the senate with two repr/state. Also the way the house works, committees, decisions,etc,etc..
That is, very deeply embedded in both the political mechanisms as well as in the "citizens" as well as the "media".
A really interesting question is if US could "handle" another (more modern, democratic, responsive, educating for both voters and politicians) system. Ref how UK is now changing their system.
The history of the two parties in US is a typical example on how difficult it is for a two-party system to "adapt" smoothly (plus "southern democrates", "blue dogs", "Gingrich republicans", "neocons",etc)
That is, both the tyranny of the majority as well of the (small, active) minority.
Culturally maybe best explained by the description "adversarial two-party system", lacking mechanisms for "the moderate common sense" (bipartisan in US-talk, but only temporarily when things have gone really bad)
Nothing wrong with "old parties" as long as they can adapt.
Btw, our center-party can, if one tries, be seen as a "jeffersonial agrarian" party, that is, (historically) small independent family-farmers, not huge landowners, nor lots of "employee", emphasize on education, cooperation, pooling resources, etc.
(that is, neither "big capital" nor "landless labor of the big capital")
Ilmarinen
PS To my understanding the important late 1800s upto the last "southern democrates" has been "pro- or anti-segration" issues forming the present two parties.. That is, a process which has taken some 150 years,
but the "segregationists" have now moved over to the republicans thanks to the "religious right" movement and Newt Gingrich. (Btw, what the republicans wanted was taxes of the southern exports to europe as well as cotton for the factories in the north)
PPS CSPAN is also a good and systematic source (on purpose) for US history.
However, the issue of proportional representation is clearly banned (despite a little attempt during the first months of Clinton, Lani Guyneri(?)) |
