Neil Coulter: Decimal Democracy
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ADVANTAGES
1. Every vote would carry equal weight.
2. Every voter would vote for somebody he personally knows.
3. Immense electoral expenditures could be avoided together with all the attendant shady practices that no country seems to avoid. Instead of the necessity to persuade a whole voting population, only ten people personally known would need to be persuaded.
4. Any issue deemed worthy could be voted up and down the ladder without expensive referenda. Referenda questions could be relayed down the electoral system, and conversely, any contentious issue could be initiated by a group of ten, and voted up the system. In fact, this would be a significant benefit of such a procedure, the ability to secure quickly and without expense a vote say on abortion, or for a group to initiate for example a national vote on assimilation of refugees. If such an issue failed to gain general support, its passage up the ladder would halt.
5. Similarly, the facts about any contentious issue could be relayed down the ladder to the relevant constituent units, without distortions by politicians or media for election or publicity purposes.
6. Modern facilities, e.g e-mail, would make the system very workable.
7. Every elector would feel his/her vote counts, and he/she could buttonhole his representative readily, or alternatively, attempt to persuade his neighbours to his way of thinking. A true democratic result.
8. It does not seem vulnerable to manipulation by big money, nor religious influences as each elected person remains subject to the vote of his/her original group, and therefore the numbers of voters to be influenced is great.
9. The incumbent office bearers would not influence the selection of potential candidates. The highest representative might have a completely antagonistic cabinet and would be compelled to act according to their wishes.
10. A genuine community spirit would evolve, making life difficult for manipulators of the system, tax dodgers, welfare rorters, incompetents and liars.
11. Electors would become more relaxed, with confidence in their local representative, and acceptance of the democratic vote even if the end result goes against them, instead of feeling cheated as at present.
12. Importantly, each issue as it arose would be voted on its merits, and not be voted by the Party line, sometimes based on Party agenda formulated in the past for situations no longer applicable. The voting system would be very rapid and flexible. No one faction could assume confidence in influencing or pushing any particular issue.
13. Longer incumbent periods at higher levels would improve stability of government and avoid disruptions caused by short-term election periods. There would be no early elections to take advantage of events.
14. The system would respond immediately to population changes.
15. The influence and power of minority lobby groups would disappear.
16. The system could be used for any large membership organisation.
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