an idea I had concerning democracy

[Doktor Howl]

So put filters on the lottery.  This much education, this few criminal convictions, this level of english fluency.

But we can get Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld with the current system.

Another possible filter:  Psychopaths.

Fantastic.  All we need now is a reliable way to screen psychopaths.

[Jasper]

The PCL-R has been fairly reliable in that respect.

linky

[Doktor Howl]

The PC-R has been fairly reliable in that respect.

The what?

[Jasper]

edited above

[Doktor Howl]

edited above

Okay.  Which of the following people would have failed and been unable to conceal that failure from someone testing them?

1.  Dick Cheney
2.  Donald Rumsfeld.
3.  Janet Reno.
4.  Robert McNamara.
5.  Richard Nixon.
6.  Joseph McCarthy.
7.  J Edgar Hoover.
8.  Roy Cohn.

I am also curious how you will force answers or information out of them.

[Jasper]

Shit, everyone knows they're crazy  (except possibly Hoover who wasn't a terrible person, if you look at his life pre-presidency).

I'm just talking about screening the lottery citizens with this test to weed out any further psychopathic leadership.

[Doktor Howl]

Shit, everyone knows they're crazy  (except possibly Hoover who wasn't a terrible person, if you look at his life pre-presidency).

I'm just talking about screening the lottery citizens with this test to weed out any further psychopathic leadership.

J Edgar Hoover, not Herbert Hoover.

And how are you going to force the information out of the lottery "winners"?

[Jasper]

Lengthy interviews with them and people in their family, work, and social circles.  If they don't comply, there are plenty who will.  Many will gladly put up with it because of the lifestyle, prestige, and stipend to be earned.  Incentives are a big part of this system. 

[Doktor Howl]

Lengthy interviews with them and people in their family, work, and social circles.  If they don't comply, there are plenty who will.  Many will gladly put up with it because of the lifestyle, prestige, and stipend to be earned.  Incentives are a big part of this system. 

Almost everyone I listed would pass all of those tests.

Also, who gets to decide who the certifying doctors are?

[Jasper]

Scholars say the test is pretty good at identifying psychopaths, and that's what I'm going with.

I imagine various universities could put forward some grads to do the testing.

[Doktor Howl]

Scholars say the test is pretty good at identifying psychopaths, and that's what I'm going with.

I imagine various universities could put forward some grads to do the testing.

I've read some scholarly papers on supply-side economics.

Just saying.

[Jasper]

The PCL-R is widely accepted.

It's a minor point anyway, screening for psychopaths.  You can screen for all kinds of things to improve the kind of elected politicians we get, even in the current system.

[Doktor Howl]

The PCL-R is widely accepted.

It's a minor point anyway, screening for psychopaths.  You can screen for all kinds of things to improve the kind of elected politicians we get, even in the current system.

Sure.  The Laffer Curve is "widely accepted", too.

I get to pick the people who do the screening, though.

I do kind of like this whole elimination of the will of the people thing, though.

[Jasper]

What now?  This system should if anything represent the interests of the people much more than our current system because it sidelines corporate interests and the self-interest of career politicians.

[Doktor Howl]

What now?  This system should if anything represent the interests of the people much more than our current system because it sidelines corporate interests and the self-interest of career politicians.

I wish to run for office.  I have some ideas I think people should hear.

But I didn't come up in the lottery.  Oh, well.