On Fixing the Israeli Parliamentary System

In light of the Election Day deadlock in Israel, it's natural to question the current system. Last year in Azure, Amotz Asa-El published a comprehensive review and withering critique of the current parliamentary system in Israel, and suggested ways to fix it. He writes,

This system has been depleting Israel’s political energies for decades: It radicalized the territorial debate, debilitated the economy, obstructed long-term planning, derailed government action, distracted cabinets, diverted budgets, weakened prime ministers, destabilized governments, enabled anonymous and often incompetent people to achieve positions of great influence and responsibility, and blurred the distinctions between the executive and legislative branches of government.

Though it was published last year, this piece is incredibly timely. It's a must-read for those interested in learning about the problems with proportional representation and how they have plagued Israel's government.

(Hat tip: Scott Harris.)