Ask Lemmy

The calendar's arrangement, at least for America. I think would be better if we had 13 months, having 12 of them with exactly 30 days in their block. The 13th month has all the extra days, and is extended during a leap year. Coincidentally, elections for president should be held during the leap year, to give people an longer voting window.

During the voting window each year, the last five days of December, all the days in the 13th month, and the first 5 days of January, are eligible as vacation days. Voters pick five days during the 15 day voting window to be on paid vacation. If they fail to vote and have a job, their employer will be penalized with an amount of money that is double the pay of the worker for five days of work. Citizens, if they vote, get a $100 check from the government.

This creates a carrot for everyday people to vote, especially workers. Employers are punished if they try to interfere with voting and vacation days during the voting season, which in turn makes it easier for people to participate in democracy. The vacation days allow for research, to have ample time to send a ballot or go to the booth.

Also, I personally dislike the regular months having variable lengths. It is disorderly and annoying, to have them stretch and bend seemingly at random.

Disposable plastic. It should never have been a thing, but by now it really shouldn't be a thing. No plastic food containers, no plastic textiles, damn near everything should be in cotton bags or paper boxes or glass jars or unlined metal cans but we're so damn accustomed to convenience that the permanent externality is seen as necessary. I'm willing to make allowances for safety and medicine but even there the focus should be developing good biodegradable plastic.

Capir9

The Jones Act.

Executive Orders in the U.S. political system

I'm Canada we have the "Notwithstanding clause" which can serve a similar function; allowing a premier to unilaterally decide something without the approval of parliament.

Neither should be allowed to exist.

Also remove the entire idea of some countries having "veto" power in NATO and UN matters.

I still propose to turn the clock halfway between standard and dst.
Why have one extreme when you can do middle?
There are already countries doing that like Sri Lanka.

I'd rather have accurate noon / celestial time for the few months it is still allowed and still have to switch twice a year than let the government make wrong-noon ("daylight saving") time permanent. So, many of the "end time switching" movements I actively resist rather than support.

I imagine things like this aren't "done and over" because there is no majority opinion.

RCV / a Condorcet Method might help.

The Electoral College

If we want to say we're a democracy then we need to be a democracy.,

Here in Canada, parliament has been discussing universal basic income for years. Economists have proven it would save the government money. It would be a win-win. Do it already.