A Random-Selected Legislature

A Random-Selected Legislature

     Step One in taking a bite out of political corruption is to end elections. Now, before you storm out of the room spouting the mantra that elections are the core of democracy, think for a minute. What do elections do for you? Do they give you any kind of power over the representative? In a way they do, but not the way you would like. They very rarely affect the way (s)he will vote on bills, but it will mean that half of their term is spent working with campaigning, that they are more willing to take money from interest groups, that political parties have to exist to find electable people and get them elected, etc. Once those few people who vote, have voted for representative X, they have no control over that representative until the next election rolls around.
     The election is merely a rubber-stamp of approval - an action that makes citizens feel that their government is legitimate. If you want your vote to really matter, then you should be able to vote directly upon the passage of legislation - discussed further in the next section.
Let's consider for a moment the benefits of a randomly-selected legislature.

[1] You now have a body which accurately reflects the composition of the society. The problem of a group of rich-old-straight-white men making laws that apply to everyone but them is over. You now have a body that is 50% female/50% male. You now have a body where all minority groups, even those that haven't emerged yet, are proportionally represented in the law-making process.

[2] Elitism is eliminated. The blue-collar worker is there in the ring with the white-collar worker, while the waitress behind them is arguing with the neurosurgeon. And, yes, the ignorant are there with the well-educated, but everyone's opinion should be heard in a democracy.

[3] Term-limits. Tired of the never-ending politician, the throw-backs to the stone-age who can only be removed from office by death? How's this for term-limits, one time then you're out. The professional politician is replaced by the voice of the many. But what if you like that representative during that term, shouldn't you be allowed to have him/her as a representative again? There is always someone who can do the job even better if given the chance.

[4] No political parties . . . no campaigns . . . no PACs . . . no campaign finance reform needed . . . no $500 plate dinners where the rich are given direct access to the representatives.

[5] The power of interest groups is greatly reduced. If they cannot offer the representative election money, public endorsements, or campaign assistance, their influence is greatly neutralized.

[6] A revitalization of public spirit. Everyone is important in this scheme, because everyone will at one time in their life BE a legislator. Everyone will have to be treated equally, because the political playing field has been leveled. The homeless person has the same political power as the wealthy lawyer. There will be no more catering to only those citizens "who matter," no more ignoring those groups that are not likely to turn out for elections anyway.

     The nuts and bolts of how I believe a randomly-selected legislature can be achieved is discussed more in the next section on citizen ratification.

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5/18/97

[1]	You now have a body which accurately reflects the composition of the society. The problem of a group of rich-old-straight-white men making laws that apply to everyone but them is over. You now have a body that is 50% female/50% male. You now have a body where all minority groups, even those that haven't emerged yet, are proportionally represented in the law-making process.
[2]	Elitism is eliminated. The blue-collar worker is there in the ring with the white-collar worker, while the waitress behind them is arguing with the neurosurgeon. And, yes, the ignorant are there with the well-educated, but everyone's opinion should be heard in a democracy.
[3]	Term-limits. Tired of the never-ending politician, the throw-backs to the stone-age who can only be removed from office by death? How's this for term-limits, one time then you're out. The professional politician is replaced by the voice of the many. But what if you like that representative during that term, shouldn't you be allowed to have him/her as a representative again? There is always someone who can do the job even better if given the chance.
[4]	No political parties . . . no campaigns . . . no PACs . . . no campaign finance reform needed . . . no $500 plate dinners where the rich are given direct access to the representatives.
[5]	The power of interest groups is greatly reduced. If they cannot offer the representative election money, public endorsements, or campaign assistance, their influence is greatly neutralized.
[6]	A revitalization of public spirit. Everyone is important in this scheme, because everyone will at one time in their life BE a legislator. Everyone will have to be treated equally, because the political playing field has been leveled. The homeless person has the same political power as the wealthy lawyer. There will be no more catering to only those citizens "who matter," no more ignoring those groups that are not likely to turn out for elections anyway.