Comments on: Albany’s Old and New Deal-making http://www.policy-wonk.org/erika-rosenberg/albany%e2%80%99s-old-and-new-deal-making/ Let's talk about where we're headed... Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:28:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Jack McGuire http://www.policy-wonk.org/erika-rosenberg/albany%e2%80%99s-old-and-new-deal-making/comment-page-1/#comment-112 Jack McGuire Mon, 21 May 2007 19:41:05 +0000 http://live.cgr.org/policy-wonk/?p=131#comment-112 Yes, the two party caucuses have long been the problem and create the oft-mentioned three men in a room deal cutting that passes for representative government in NYS. It's a good example of what Aldrich and Rhode call conditional party government. True, decrying empty seat voting won't significantly alter Albany politics. And yes, what New York needs is an electorate that's informed about its public officials and government institutions but New Yorkers are also largely to blame for the problems in Albany. In the 2006 elections the voter turnout in NYS was 36% (as reported by McDonald@GMU). Now this level of non-voting isn't uncommon among the states. However, when New Yorkers go to the polls & vote out Silver, Bruno, and the other elected officials in the party caucuses that delegate authority to their respective leaders, then maybe we'll see some real reforms in Albany. Yes, the two party caucuses have long been the problem and create the oft-mentioned three men in a room deal cutting that passes for representative government in NYS. It’s a good example of what Aldrich and Rhode call conditional party government.

True, decrying empty seat voting won’t significantly alter Albany politics. And yes, what New York needs is an electorate that’s informed about its public officials and government institutions but New Yorkers are also largely to blame for the problems in Albany. In the 2006 elections the voter turnout in NYS was 36% (as reported by McDonald@GMU). Now this level of non-voting isn’t uncommon among the states. However, when New Yorkers go to the polls & vote out Silver, Bruno, and the other elected officials in the party caucuses that delegate authority to their respective leaders, then maybe we’ll see some real reforms in Albany.

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