tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9222788328131979672.post9085140233409612588..comments2011-01-08T11:25:58.930-07:00Comments on Random Novel Thoughts: Why I want to run for Congress.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9222788328131979672.post-76015861100492013742011-01-08T11:25:58.930-07:002011-01-08T11:25:58.930-07:00Such a test would create a meritocracy in place of...Such a test would create a meritocracy in place of democracy -- not a bad thing, but it would be highly biased by the opinions of the one designing the test, and evaluating it. In the end, it would evolve into aristocracy.Ivan Vučicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09801850158138970240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9222788328131979672.post-8037088331425527722011-01-08T05:38:12.613-07:002011-01-08T05:38:12.613-07:00duralf2: Hopefully my screening test will help all...duralf2: Hopefully my screening test will help alleviate those issues. It should be designed such that people whose opinions are easily swayed with little evidence would not be allowed to vote for themselves. Perhaps each vote is submitted with a small exam to ensure that the voter is not completely ignorant of the matter at hand.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02264152811466066729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9222788328131979672.post-25576207607556886032011-01-08T05:20:27.731-07:002011-01-08T05:20:27.731-07:00I thought of another thing as well: Most voters wi...I thought of another thing as well: Most voters will not be educated about what they are voting about. They will not have read the bill nor have any specialist knowledge in that area.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09632915495120662010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9222788328131979672.post-9828698302736500462011-01-08T05:06:02.875-07:002011-01-08T05:06:02.875-07:00It should be noted that such a system is very easy...It should be noted that such a system is very easy to exploit. Presumably few people will vote on most issues and only the loudest people will be heard. It's also easy for example a church or other groups leader to convince or pressure members to vote in a way that they want. This will greatly scew the results of that vote. A better idea would be to outlaw taking bribes ("campaign contributions"), getting rid of the horrible winner takes it all system and stuff like that.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09632915495120662010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9222788328131979672.post-24558735907641290802011-01-08T04:47:29.425-07:002011-01-08T04:47:29.425-07:00I have been considering this problem for some time...I have been considering this problem for some time now, if only for British politics.<br />One slight problem is that people are dumb. Senators and MPs act not only as a geographical proxy, but as a mediator for stupidity.<br />Take for example the MMR vaccine scare. After this event, the majority of the public were outright scared of this vaccine. It was the duty of the politicians to educate themselves on this issue, and think about things rationally.<br />In addition, educating oneself on a matter takes time. Most people will not be able to find enough time to learn about these issues.<br />This could be partially solved by a few methods.<br />Firstly, only a randomly selected subset of people could be permitted to vote on each issue. This would give people the opportunity to learn about the topic at hand, and make a rational informed decision.<br />Still, people can be swayed by either effects, and most people are very capable of making bad decisions, even if they know all of the information.<br />This could be solved by having people take a "Voting Exam". In the same way that a person driving a car, is likely to do harm if they are not able to control the vehicle, so could a person voting irrationally do harm. I suppose that the voting exam would consist of testing the subject's critical thinking skills and their ability to comprehend and utilize new information.<br /><br />I would love to hear your thoughts on this.<br /><br />Joe.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02264152811466066729noreply@blogger.com