George Mason Assistant Professor Jason Brennan put a book out before the election titled “Against Democracy,” where he argues that letting everyone vote is a bad idea that leads to suboptimal outcomes. Among the alternatives he offers to near universal suffrage is a voter test so that only the most informed in society actually get to cast a ballot.
The idea has been around a while, it’s called an Epistocracy and I have a few problems with it.
You can read more Here and Here
or watch Prof. Brennan discuss his book Here
While I expect the left to embrace the idea, after losing the recount and the Electoral gambit, they shouldn’t- Here
My objection to an Epistocracy
a.) Voting isn’t about relying on an uninformed mob to select our leaders. It’s about accepting the the legitimacy of government to rule. It’s about sharing in the responsibility of governing because these are the people and ideas we have chosen, good or bad.
b.) There’s plenty of cheating in our elections already, why create another avenue?
c.) Who writes the test and decides what is an appropriate answer for determining a person’s right to vote? Imagine if members of the press, academia or any other institution full of leftists were given the responsibility of drawing up the questions and deciding on the correct answers on a voter test.
I kind of like the idea put forth in ‘Starship Troopers’ by Heinlein. The only people who were allowed to vote were those who served in the military…yeah, it was just a book, and it would never work in real life, but I can dream.
I’ve been considering the idea of only land owners being given a vote or some derivative. I’m not sure it would be good in that form but it’s a starting point.
I would like people with skin in the game, IOW property owners, business owners and servicemen, to be the only ones that can vote. The adage that in a system like ours as it is now, that eventually enough people will be voting to get on the Goodie Train is here.
There are so many millions that could give a fuck about this country’s future and want their free shit now. And thanks to the Electoral College, they’re clustered so tightly in few enough areas that we can over come them for now.(and stupid me actually was on the popular vote bandwagon for a while-DOH!)
If you pay income tax you can vote period.
if you are on any type of Government assistance no vote because you will
continue to vote for Democrats or as I like to call them Santa Claus
Government regulations are a tax upon an individual’s ability to maximize their earning potential.
So another liberal supports a “Literacy Test” before being allowed to vote, sounds like a very Democratic idea.
JTucker DECEMBER 23, 2016 AT 11:45 AM
“If you pay income tax you can vote period.
if you are on any type of Government assistance no vote because you will
continue to vote for Democrats or as I like to call them Santa Claus”
This is just plain stupid. There are millions of elderly on SS who voted for Reagan, Bush and Trump.
They are core republicans. Without those votes you’d be saluting hillary.
And by the way, we do pay taxes on gov’t assistance if your interest is high enough and when your property, that you worked a lifetime for, is sold.
no shit you just said you pay taxes a non a moose.
please think before you call the idea stupid.
If you are on SS you still pay taxes.
Thought is dead.
a literacy test is ok but showing voter ID is racist… hahaaaaa
JT for the win
Only people that frequent iotwreport.com should be able to vote.
Social Security isn’t government assistance, it’s an involuntary retirement savings plan. But I’d be OK disenfranchising anyone on SS so long they had the alternative of opting out and receiving instead every cent they’d ever paid into it with interest.
People that make their living as part of the bureaucracy shouldn’t have a voice in feeding it money either.
Drop Mic.
Question number 1 should be
Do you eat bacon.
Picks Mic back up. I’m thinking establishing criteria for who and who can’t vote would require a Constitutional Amendment. A faster path to restoring legitimacy to the electorate might be starting with our higher learning institutions. In others words cut off funding until they fire all card carrying communists that are molding every young mind they touch into a communist.
I have been saying this for many years. If you pay taxes, you vote, you must have a photo I.D. AND you must pass a basic civics exam like immigrants take to become a citizen. If you are on ANY type of taxpayer funded public assistance (Social Security is NOT public assistance if you paid into it, and VA compensation are exempt).
Cont’ any type of public assistance you DO NOT VOTE!
There is no “perfect” system.
Many different models have been tried, most have failed, and ours, will (probably) fail, too.
“The greater the franchise; the less the individual vote means.” Thus, the greater the influence of the Party “Leaders.” This is a well-known fact, and also the reason for the constant braying for full voting rights for every possible succubus under the Sun. It doesn’t really matter which Party’s ideology you adhere, all parties tend towards centralization, as all gov’ts do – to the detriment of Individual Rights, Freedoms, and Liberties.
In terms of “fairness” and “accountability” only taxpayers should have the vote.
But should the share of that vote be determined by the size of the payment?
For example: 1 vote per $1,000 paid in taxes?
Or 1 vote per dollar?
Silly? Not really. If you’re gonna make being a taxpayer the criterion, why should the guy who pays $10/yr have the same “right” as the guy who pays $10 Million/yr?
Landowner? Same notion.
Income? Same notion.
Number of children? Same notion.
Questions, questions, questions.
izlamo delenda est …
JTucker above is the closest to the original Constitutional criteria, if I remember correctly. It may be a phantom memory, but I believe one had to be a “productive” citizen. Not a productive “white” citizen nor a productive “male” citizen…Just a productive citizen with productive being defined as “net asset”. So return to that criteria and repeal the corresponding bastardization of the Constitution Amendments enacted to create an equality that already existed (13&14 I think), along with returning the election of Senators to the State legislatures (repeal 17th I think) and we would be back on the intended path and well in our way to recovery…Far easier said than done I’m afraid…
Episteme = intellectually certain knowledge.
‘Epistocracy’ sounds like it’s derived from Opistho- the rear or behind.
Whoever coined the term is a sophomore. I hate people who butcher Greek and Latin.
It should have been Epistemocracy
Isn’t it all kinda moot?
“Educated” people voted
Those with lesser or no education voted
Illegal aliens voted
Dead people voted
Maybe some real aliens voted
Trump won.
Why would they want to?
…
Alright, now that that’s over with. I’ll ask the serious question…
Why…would…they…want…to?
JMV December 23, 2016 at 11:05 am
I kind of like the idea put forth in ‘Starship Troopers’ by Heinlein. The only people who were allowed to vote were those who served in the military…yeah, it was just a book, and it would never work in real life, but I can dream.
Once again, WRONG! The military was one option, and volunteer only in Starship Troopers. Government service was required, and the government would take anyone who volunteered, and find something for them to do regardless of their physical condition or aptitude. And you had to fully complete the term of service honorably to be a citizen able to vote and participate. Might end up being a medical guinea pig, or observing weather in Antarctica for a few years, but something would be found for you to do. The military had minimum requirements you had to meet.