Would a combined system of direct representation and proportional representation be a better way?
No. Combined systems try to mix two incompatible principles: public service and power sharing. Inevitably, the power sharing elements will exploit their power to gain material benefits, usually at the expense of sincere efforts towards public service. Combined systems produce legislators of different status, those who are directly accountable to a defined constituency and those who are accountable only to a political party’s central committee. This opens the door to the patronization and influence-peddling that has become commonplace in our current proportional system. Combined systems under-represent regional concerns, especially those of citizens living in the periphery, by either decreasing the ratio of representatives to citizens or by diluting the influence of directly elected representatives. A famous quote defines “politics” as “the art of compromise.” All political systems require the capability for compromise solutions for specific issues. There should be no compromise, howeve
