Quote:
Originally Posted by PSM
With voting regulated by the individual states. Limited, at the time, largely to white male property owners. Several states, though, also allowed women and black male property owners to vote. Ownership of property being the defining requirement.
Pat
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I can see increased forward momentum as a state and a State if voting were limited to property owners. Especially given the state of the voter-ship as it currently stands; augmented by transients and undocumented immigrants.
There is the implication that a property owner would be more informed, more conscious of the long term effects of legislation and the stances and tendencies of their elected representation. I see how this would effectively negate what I consider to be bad entitlement programs as property owners would be more concerned with building infrastructure, strong military, good borders, good foreign policy (in the interest of security and trade).
Of course this would all be selfish interest, but I can see the long term results being a country that was rich and viable for the creation of business and agriculture.
For contrast, by muddying the voting pool with non-property owners, the selfish motivations of voters become less about long term viability and more about short term "prosperity".
I assert that the country would be a much stronger NATION today had we stayed true to this idea.
Full disclosure: I am NOT a property owner.