Here’s an idea: Every election, you randomly choose ~5-10 people for each seat, and these are your candidates. If you’re not selected, you can’t run. To make sure people actually want to be elected, let’s also make the salary really enticing for the representatives. Maybe, just maybe, let’s also make the incumbent one of the candidates, so you can get re-elected if you do a good job and people like you (but I’m really not sure about this part).
I think it’d help make the composition of Parliament mirror more closely that of the general population.
I wish more people thought like this and realized that as humans, we can make whatever system we want. We have infinite possibilities and surely can find systems that do what we desire.
That’s the whole point of technology. Out of all the possibilities, we found the design that turns light into electricity. If only we realized politics can work the same way.
Yeah it should be in between a draft and jury duty. I think there are plenty of really bright people who are smart enough to stay away from politics. It’s not just the working class who aren’t represented but also scientists, engineers, young people, or minorities. Two year terms, can serve multiple terms. Very good idea.
randomly choose ~5-10 people for each seat, and these are your candidates
It would be better if the representative themselves were randomly chosen, rather than candidates.
The problem is that elections are fundamentally undemocratic. Oligarchs, elites, the rich - whatever you call our aristocrats - will always be better placed to influence others, win elections and then represent their narrow interests against the majority. As they do now.
That was my first thought, actually. I’ve since come to realize that a completely random selection may not properly reflect the will of the population, and some electoral input is desireable.
What you’re referring to is the influence of money in politics, and my answer to that would be pretty simple: 100% forbid all advertising in elections. Instead, candidates are provided screen time on public television & radio (CBC / Radio-Canada), a website where they can present their platform, and some form of print media that gets distributed in all homes. They can only advertise through these channels, and nowhere else. If a journalist wants to interview a candidate, they also have to give equal coverage to their opponents.
Basically, money would be useless as a tool for winning elections. Electoral spending is already closely scrutinized here in Canada, this would only bring that even further.
