Friday, November 12, 2010

We Need Something Better than Democracy

Democracy is called the freest and fairest way to anoint representatives to lead people. We’ve fought wars to institute democracy to replace authoritarian and theocratic governments. While democracy is certainly preferable to authoritarianism and theocracy, it is proving itself to be a failed system itself.

There’s a paradox in democracy. In order to be fair, it insists (with exceptions for convicts and children) that every person should get one vote. At the same time, giving everyone a vote is what makes the system inherently unfair.

People vote for candidates because they are attractive. They vote for candidates because they remember them from sports, TV, and movies. Some people vote based on information they saw in a commercial paid for by persons unknown. There are people who vote for a candidate who holds views that the voter doesn’t share just because they want change or hope. Some people vote for candidates that promise to cut the deficit and taxes, even though these acts contradict each other. There are people who will vote for a candidate because he drives a pickup truck, or because he claims to be so rich that he doesn’t need the position. Some people even vote for a candidate because of his name.

I follow politics closely. I can tell you the major tenants of the health care law, the stimulus, and financial regulation. I know how the filibuster and cloture work. I can name the last three Speakers of the House. Yet, despite my advanced knowledge of issues, candidates, and politics, my vote counts the same as the yahoos I mentioned above.

It’s about time the smart political scientist got together and devised a new system. Democracy is broken.

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