Lottocracy: A Concept of World Government

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  Kernel
 

It should be possible in our modern society, with the aid of science, to develop a system of government which satisfies everyone. If we can put a man on the moon, we should be able to construct a form of government that everyone could whole heartedly support.

 

Common Sense

 

Our aim is simply to develop a fair and workable system for a world government by applying common sense. This would be a system that would be unobjectionable to everyone. It would be without politics, opposition parties, and especially, without secrecy. Secrecy is the arch-enemy of co-operative existence.

 

Absolute Requirements

 

Scientists and experts must openly give of their time and knowledge when necessary.

  • Party formation must be eliminated from within the group.
  • Power must be kept out of the hands of one person.
  • Many representatives are necessary to ensure one person cannot control and to ensure that the sample is represenative.
 

Scientists should not decide

 

Certainly, scientists should not 'decide', for the obvious risk of their hobby-horses becoming a lethal threat as the first atomic bomb was. Remember that before this first one was exploded, nobody was certain that the atmosphere as a whole would not be destroyed. The risk of staking all life on it was easily decided upon by scientists.

 

Impartiality

 

The only impartial system now, as the children teach us, is also the only scientific-, common sensical one, namely the Appointment by Lot, i.e. the random selection of governors.

 

Restriction of Age

 

For many reasons a person between 45 and 50 would make an ideal representative. They have had many life experiences by that age. Additionally, they have the energy needed to serve well.

 

A great number, avoiding veto's

 

The occasional crank is taken care of by a great number and by avoiding veto's.

 

A jury system

 

Just as children (try to) fiddle with this lot, we, in the jury system, have managed to bungle the advantages of the conscience(s) appointed by lot.

  Conscience and Expert Advise
 

The jury members should only have personal encounters with (mind) experts, certainly not with the show-business and theatricals of the courtroom. Justice should be done, i.e. conscience and expert advise.

  Protocol
 

  • There are, say, a thousand world-governors appointed by lot.
  • They will be ordinary citizens.
  • It will be necessary to have all advisory help from scientists and others, available to them, when needed.
  • But these thousand governors should never be able to 'meet' in person in their assemblies. We don't want speeches and indoctrinations, machinations for certain ideas, and we tolerate no secrecy which is the core of diplomacy.
    Fortunately, today, (it was not possible in the days of the Roman empire) we have such a technological skill that we can form a thousand institutions on Earth, that are magnificently 'en communicado' with every other one 'and' with the general public.
  • Linked up to these centres, should be the university-like organisations for scientific search (not re-search as Andreski 1972 pointed out). These centres, consisting of a department for science, and one for housing the (one) governor, make for easy access to whatever scientific advise is required.
  • The governors are not chosen, but taken at random by computer out of the whole content of Earth-citizens of say, 45 years of age.
  • When appointed, they have (as duty) the task of governing for a year, i.e. after a schooling period of two months, an effective 'sitting' period of ten. The schooling is necessary in order to teach them general knowledge, the procedures, and the way to understand scientists.
  • During the in office period, they are only in electronic contact (computer, screen, printer, telephone, etc.) with each other.
  • There is no (repeat no) permanent chairman. The necessary member during a session, the one who 'orders' things in agenda fashion, can easily be appointed by computer.

  Separate Cubicles
 

Such a set up (see protocol) can work admirably when, as always, common sense is born in mind and is basic for it. We have a thousand centres spread over the planet, perfectly linked up electronically, in which science is being performed, and that have a separate cubicle that serves the world government.

  The Advisers
 

We do not discriminate the scientists by burdening them with government, in fact, we discriminate nobody at all, the burden of giving advise to governors keeps scientists human. Decisions are not taken by the scientists, only advise is given.

  The Deciders
 

  • are a random sample of the mature population of Earth,
  • they do not like the job, they have to do their duty,
  • they know absolutely nothing about the decisions to be made, so they 'have' to ask advise.

  Knowledge and Conscience
 

There is no barter, nobody gets any profit from whatever subject that is decided upon, thus, only the scientific necessity prevails. The scientists study and advise, the (random) citizen decides, a perfect integration of knowledge and conscience.

  Continuous Change
 

  • It need not be that the appointment of all governors must happen on the same day, in fact, it is far more 'barter and cow trade' preventing when two or three persons are taken everyday.
  • Except on the precise occasion of a voting session, there is no harm in having everyday two persons starting, and two persons ending their duty. It prevents barter and clodding even more than the absence of proximity.
  • Since there is no seasonal work involved, we even need not have their year in 365 1/4 days, 360 days being good enough, or 300, 600, etc.

  Kernel
 

No existing government can become a world government and a world government cannot be a large-scale imitation of any existing government. Wells, The Holy Terror.

  Lottocracy and Democracy
 

In Book 4 of the Politics, Aristotle already writes now about 2500 years ago (according to an English translation by Benjamin Jowett) : "I mean for example, that it is thought to be democratic for the offices to be assigned by lot, for them to be elected (assigned by vote) oligarchic." In Greek : "Legô d'hoion dokei dêmokratikon men einai to klêrôtas einai tas archas, to d'hairetas oligarchikon." (Latin transliteration).

A little further on in Book 4 of the Politics, Aristotle writes (according to an English translation by Benjamin Jowett) : "The Lacedaemonian constitution, for example, is often described as a democracy, ... the Spartan constitution is said to be an oligarchy, because it has many oligarchic elements. That all offices are filled by election and none by lot, is one of these oligarchic characteristics." In Greek : "Hoi d' olicharchian dia to polla echein oligarchika, hoion to pasas hairetas einai kai mêdemian klêrôtên." (Latin transliteration).

  Lottocracy or Clerotarchy
 

"… to klêrôtas einai tas archas …” literally means ”… that the offices should be appointed by lot …". The word 'clerotarchy' is a combination of klêrôtas and archê. So, clerotarchy is a form of democracy, in which the offices or people's representatives are appointed by lot. The term clerotarchy is coined by Prof. Dr. A.H.M. Kessels, Professor in Greek and Latin Language and Culture at the Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands. At the moment he is preparing a Dutch translation of Aristoteles' Politics.

  Demarchy
 

Demarchy is based on two important principles for decision-making. First, there are separate decision-making groups for each function or issue in each local area, such as child-care, transport and fisheries. Second, members of each decision-making group are chosen randomly from volunteers, for strictly limited terms. Brian Martin, Making global decisions.

  Lottocracy and Demarchy
 

In León's concept of demarchy, called lottocracy, he considers only one global decision group instead of various separate decision-making groups, although he admits that one can apply the principle to any subgroup. He solves the problem of lack of expertise by giving each representative the right to ask any expert for advise, which is easily possible as a representative has his/her location at a university. Naturally, any expert has the duty to respond to the request of the representative.

  Volunteers vs. Conscripts
 

Brian Martin is speaking of "chosen randomly from volunteers". León states "that first of all, the job (the function of governor) must not be liked". The latter seems much more appropriate. Somebody who wants to be chosen should already be suspected, because for him/her public interest will be contaminated by individual interest. Actually, León speaks about conscripts.

 
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