Why can't we improve democracy?

Question

I'm sure most of you must have noted a flaw in the practiced democracy. As majority in any country is low in mental maturity, perceptive ability and education its choice will simply be a reflection, in other words stupid. And unfortunately due to it being a choice of majority this choice becomes the so called leader. Why can't we assign a weight to each voter according to his/her mental maturity, education and perceptive ability and then calculate who should become the leader?

Answer 1

Because those rated low in intelligence (or think they might be rated low) would protest. Since changing the election of political leaders, i.e. the President, would require an amendment to the Constitution, the vote to make the change would require a vast majority of the votes (at least in America).

There's not much chance of that happening, since 50% of the population will be below the average and therefore not like the score (and say in government) that they were given. You couldn't even get a 51% majority vote in favor of the change you've proposed.

Aside from the voting, there would be all sorts of people protesting the change because it discriminates against people that are low in intelligence, education, etc. Then there would be questions as to the accuracy of the tests.

I'm not saying it's a bad idea in theory, but it'd be impossible to implement accurately and fairly and would meet far too much opposition to pass.

edit: When I say 50% will be below the average, I mean that mathematically, 50% will be below average and 50% will be above average, no matter the population in question.

Answer 2

The reason we can't improve democracy in this country is because this country isn't a democracy its a republic. A democracy in its purest form is a country where everyone meets and votes on laws and bills, we see this kind of government in greece. But as we've seen in greece the only people who actually get these rights are the highest in society generally, therefore this sytem just becomes an aristocracy and doesn't work. While a republic is made up of representatives who are voted upon by the general public, these represenatives make descions regarding laws and wars so forth. I agree with your statement that the majority of people are stupid. But an intelectual grading system to assign leaders is impossible and rediculous. Rather I think suffrage should be granted to property owners. Reason being people who own property are most likely to be patriotic and the kind of people who are living the American dream. Rather than granting suffrage to anybody who can fill out a form (which sometimes this even proves to be a challenge) which seems to be our system now.

Answer 3

Labours Statement is certainly not true and follows the same formula as all their previous statements. i.e. A total load of political c##p designed to hoodwink gullible voters. How any government that has a self-elected Prime Minister and isn't prepared to honour it's own Manifesto, can lay claim to improving democracy, beggars belief!!! When I see a referendum on both the EU constitution and the Midlothian question, then I will believe that Democracy still exists in this country.

Answer 4

Well, hard to have perfect system without perfect people.

In terms of assigning weights to votes, its pretty obvious how that might be abused.

Let's say it was implemented in the US. If a republican was doing the "weighing" he's more likely to "weigh" votes in favor of himself than against and likewise for the democrat guy.

Our democracies do actually have different weights for different votes. Well, the British, Canadian, and US systems do at any rate. For example, in Canada, its common to a have "majority government" with far less than 50% of the vote.

In US on occasion, the president does not win the majority of the votes. Bush and Kennedy are the recent examples of this.

I think in terms of your complaints, you just got to work on educating people better.

Answer 5

I like the way you think on your methodology to chose a country's leader. And agree with you wholly.

I think all the washington DC people think that democracy is the greatest thing to ever to come across the human race that they would not want to change it even if it means improving it. The majority of citizens are apathetic as it is and we have to select a leader based on people that don't know what's going on beyond their entrusted bubble.

I've always been up for change.

Answer 6

Better yet, how about we make sure that all American children are well-educated so that, among other benefits, they can become informed and thoughtful citizens?