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New form of Government | |||||||||||||||||
Thoughts and Ideas on a New Form of Government We don't need government controlled by a few elected individuals making decisions for us. This is the information age. We should all be able to have a recorded decision on everything we want and don’t want. We should be able to classify laws based on their importance. Be able to decide if it should be a Global, National, State, County, City, Zip Code, census tract or whatever local citizens come up with. The people will decide what the laws are based on the current popular vote. Only yes and no votes will be counted. Citizens will be able to change their minds on their votes whenever they want. If they encounter a law they don't agree with they can go online and vote against it. We should be able to vote for who enforces these rules and regulations. The current vote for them by the majority will determine if they get to retain their employment by the people. The people can change their vote for these elected individuals anytime they want. These elected individuals can suggest laws for us but they can never decide for us. We can choose some sort of time delay for these laws and government employees to go into and out of effect based on the number of votes. The citizens will maintain their own voter profile choosing what laws they are for or against. They will get to decide what parts of their profile are public or private. They will be able to choose who gets to work for them. They will get to vote on their own tax rates and rules and how these taxes are to be collected. If the roads go to hell and a hand basket and they get tired of driving over pot holes, they get online and adjust their votes. This system can be phased into effect by taking the current laws and individuals entering them into a database that will allow the citizens to cast their vote for it. Citizens can suggest laws that other citizens can vote on. They can decide on how much they want to fund for public projects. Everyone will have free access to the information so they can make an informed decision. The people can vote for their form of currency and how it will be regulated. The people can decide if they should have a Constitution and bill of rights that will have precedence over all other laws that the people come up with. All individuals working for law enforcement will have a public profile that will show how many citizens are for or against them. The number of law enforcement positions can be decided by the public. Interpretation of the all the laws will be decided by the public.
zzaaak, Jan 11 2010
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Copyright © Barry Nalebuff & Ian Ayres
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Right. Now who is organizing the revolution?
Your "new" form of government sounds like old fashioned direct democracy. While not an entirely bad idea, it does have its problems. In particular, it relies on the majority of voters having good judgment and decision making skills. Unfortunately, far too many people are not even qualified to make decisions for themselves, much less the whole country.
The founding fathers of the U.S. felt that a pure democracy would allow the majority to oppress and abuse any minority. That's why they made our country a republic instead.
We've been so far removed from making decisions for so long there most likely will be a bit of a learning curve for all us to get over. We are no longer true Republic anymore. They have just about killed the constitution.
Just discovered this after I posted the idea Metagovernment.org
Aren't you afraid that a popular democracy would result in a 'tyranny of the majority?' You know, more than half of people don't smoke, so it would be outlawed. More than half of people don't approve of homosexuality, so it would be outlawed. Lots of people don't like fast cars, so they'd be outlawed. I think probably more than half of people approve of nakedness on TV, so rated R movies would be broadcast. I've just made up these, but surely you can see that a majority of people wanting it doesn't make it right. Literally, you could 'vote' all Mexicans 'off the island.' Would that be okay?
I think a new form of government is essential. Getting it AND specifying it are not easy.
Getting itVery few politicians will be too keen on the idea as any new system would most likely erode their power and increase their culpability.
Specifying itI imagine this would need to be a gradual process in order for it to work. Having said that I believe the fundamentals must include...
All eligible individuals MUST vote or face a fine.Polling days must be given as holidays. Politicians MUST implement manifesto issues or obtain approval from the public for changes.Failure to implement agreed policies may result in prosecution of responsible MPs.On-line facilities are provided for anybody to create a 'suggested' policy or to approve or disagree with any existing policy.Any suggested policy that generates a differential of X votes will 'bring it to life' or 'close it'.
Very basic, but you probably get where I'm coming from :¬)
Democracy does not work in the long term unless it is used to make a better people.
If the people don't want to pay taxes, because they think that is their right, and you give them that right. they will vote not to pay tax or the will vote to pay so little that services have to be slashed.
The result will be that the poor and sick will die - not the form of government I would like to see, but shamefully more and more Americans seem to be wanting that.