I don't believe that fixing those problems would solve the underlying issue, which is that the voters themselves have a deep antipathy towards each other. We could alter the rules to try to reduce the effects of it, but I don't expect it to reduce the underlying division that leads us to push the rules to (and past) the breaking point.
Plus, of course, there is little appetite for any given set of fixes. We can easily calculate who will benefit, and because of the division I mentioned, half the people will oppose the change just to avoid losing influence.
I'm hard pressed for a solution short of starting over from scratch, which would at least make some of the existing alliances moot.
> I don't believe that fixing those problems would solve the underlying issue, which is that the voters themselves have a deep antipathy towards each other.
The evidence is very strong that the reduction of the dimensionality of discourse and the polarization are a direct result of those features of the electoral system.
> I'm hard pressed for a solution short of starting over from scratch,
That's not only not a solution, it is not even an actual option. You can't start from anywhere except where you are.
> which is that the voters themselves have a deep antipathy towards each other
They don’t. The only solutions to deep-rooted antipathy are forgiveness and annihilation. We aren’t anywhere close to that, despite what idiots want to manufacture.
> I'm hard pressed for a solution short of starting over from scratch
Plus, of course, there is little appetite for any given set of fixes. We can easily calculate who will benefit, and because of the division I mentioned, half the people will oppose the change just to avoid losing influence.
I'm hard pressed for a solution short of starting over from scratch, which would at least make some of the existing alliances moot.