In an effort to curb the sheer corruption, stupidity and venality that characterises politics in almost all nations, everyone agrees there needs to be some change to the way we elect our politicians.

Here goes nothing: A monthly lottery, in which the winner stands to pick up a stupidly large fortune (let's pick an arbitrary number like USD$20 million or its purchasing power parity equivalent in your country, which is pretty much chump change for most governments) and is elected as a full member of your country's house of representatives or its parliamentary equivalent in your country.

As the new member is sworn in the remaining politicians are all eligible for dismissal, with the loser decided by the latest winner having nominated the member they wish to see deposed, at the time they buy a ticket. Tickets cost a minimal amount... say $1 each. One ticket per person per month, maximum.

A few points:
- This won't be anywhere near as disruptive as you think, because it's really the bureaucrats in each department who run the show... elected officials are just the front man for the department.
- Electoral costs drop to practically nil, as the cost of running the lottery is subsidised by the players.
- Electoral advertising campaigns are a thing of the past, unless you count the ads for the lottery, which are already part of the advertising landscape.
- Statistically, you should see even representation across the entire population, as the choice of candidates is left to chance.
- No term limits apply, as any representative can be removed by the incoming representative at any time.
- Disruptions during transition of government, from one major ideological side of existing bi-partisan politics to the other, no longer occurs.

No doubt there are problems with the system but this can hardly be better or worse than the existing system/s.
-- infidel, May 16 2011

Apathetic_20Representatives [mouseposture, May 16 2011]

Random Congress, President Random Congress, President
[EdisonsTwin]'s idea from 4 years ago pretty much covers this idea [marked-for-deletion] redundant with idea linked. [zen_tom, May 16 2011]

Draft First Term Representatives Draft First Term Representatives
A slight twist on the theme from 2004, where politicians are randomly selected, but once in, have the opportunity to stay - essentially the same idea as presented here again. [zen_tom, May 16 2011]

Single term politicians
[xaviergisz, May 17 2011]

So instead of buying votes, they buy tickets in bulk? I don't see how this changes that much.
-- RayfordSteele, May 16 2011


How can you buy tickets in bulk if they're limited to one per person, [Ray]?
-- infidel, May 17 2011


I'll give a tentative [+] on the understanding that there is some kind of minimum intelligence/ability requirement for entering the lottery.

My solution is that politicians can only serve a single term. Then politicians will spend more time doing what's right rather than trying to get re-elected. (Yes, lots of problems with my idea as well).

Ultimately there is no optimal solution. There are just a bunch of mediocre solutions; some slightly better than others.
-- xaviergisz, May 17 2011


//on the understanding that there is some kind of minimum intelligence/ability requirement for entering the lottery.//

This hasn't occurred to candidate pre-selection committees in the past, it seems.
-- infidel, May 17 2011


Yes it has: quite a few candidates have had rather minimum intelligence/ability.
-- FlyingToaster, May 17 2011


If it's really the bureaucrats, ie. middle management, that run the show then explain Ford under a: Jaques Nasser vs. b: Alan Mullaly.
-- RayfordSteele, May 17 2011


//everyone agrees there needs to be some change to the way we elect our politicians//

Heh! Not in the UK we don't...apparently.

I quite like this idea though. + (I note that I voted + for the Random Congress idea too, so at least I'm consistent if nothing else).
-- DrBob, May 18 2011


If the body in question is to small, the probabilities will tend to produce large shifts in viewpoint instead of //Statistically, you should see even representation across the entire population, as the choice of candidates is left to chance. //. If you make the body in question large enoguh, however, this gets less and less likely.
-- MechE, May 18 2011



random, halfbakery