A Simple Idea to Improve Democracy

No, it’s not preaching ethics to corrupt politicians.

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

In the place where I live, the votes of some people could easily be influenced by a bottle of rum. Or a free ride to the voting booth.

Consider 4 voters:

1. An alcoholic, drug addict, or someone with a history of violence.
2. A person who is only concerned about himself and doesn’t give a shit about who gets elected.
3. A person who reads and analyzes current affairs and news, studies the candidates, participates in debates with his peers, and thinks hard to choose the perfect person to elect.
4. A person who cares about society, finds time to help people who need it, and works sincerely for the betterment of his nation.

They all get the same 1 vote. Do you think the opinions of these 4 different people should be treated equally? I am not so sure of that.

There are opinions, and there are educated opinions. There are opinions of people who care, and those who don’t. They shouldn’t be treated with the same respect.

So here’s my suggestion:

Test the voters

Simple. But not easy.

Have them tested based on:

• Their knowledge of the candidates participating, and current affairs.
• How much social work they have done.
• Their background: Are or have they been violent? Any history of alcohol or drug abuse?
• How underprivileged they are (their votes should be valued more).

There could be a system where an adult could get 5 to 10 votes based on how much they score.

What do you think? Stupid? Impossible?

“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.” ― Winston S. Churchill

Democracy is amazing, but isn’t there scope for improvement?

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