To think my plan for democracy is awesome and should be installed Immediately

[Metoodear]

Just as the title says my plan would turn have everyone who has no criminal record and of sound mind and body over the age of 21 to be enetered into a sweepstake and names of the primister and the following cabinet post to be filled

Once your term is up your name gets removed from the sweepstakes their are no forfights

Everyone has a chance it crosses all genders,race and age groups we would have true representation
Gueius
That is all

Well if I was drawn as transport mister I would be sorting out the standard with of parking spaces sharpish

Well yes, I could do that before my first coffee break. But I'd probably accidentally cause an economic disaster or start a war after lunch.

Trouble is that people that do a job are not necessarily the best person to organise that job for others.
For example a teacher is not much likely to be good as a headteacher, in that a headteacher does not normally actually teach (unless part time at a small school). Most of the time the work is people and fund management which could be done by anyone with those skills although having a clue what it is actually like to teach, so having empathy with the staff is of course a good idea.
Similar train of thought for most professions and 'rulers'.

So if you're not kidding

You want a system that's inclusive and doesn't promote career politicians

Who decides who is of sound mind and body btw?

You're not going to force people to go in the ballot because that would be like the Hunger Games, of course you can't force people to do a job

So you're left with people entering the ballot who want to play politician for a while

Did you lose the career politicians? No, they just do politics for a short time, which they're used to....because every five years they face the risk of not being re elected, when that happens they go off to other jobs anyway. Also, they have no interest in serving the public, because heck, there's no chance of getting back in.

You want to ban lobbying. How would we get together and campaign for anything? At what point does a group count as a lobby group?

So who forms cabinet and PM? Confident, power hungry people who entered the Games.

Yes there's a lot wrong with UK politics right now - but I can't see how this is a solution.

Btw what's this about improving the "standard" of parking spaces? Do they give out chocolate after you've improved them?

You would have to include an IQ test, suitability for the job, and desire to do it, otherwise its a stupid idea.

In theory I like the idea but then I remember some of the people I know & get scared that they might get picked. They are mostly nice people but my god some of them are stupid!

There was something similar in a fantasy book by David Eddings, Some of the rules were that you only worked for the government during that time and that you only served a set time in office.

there was also something about personal funds and honesty.

I would somehow declare I was insane and then find a nice blanket to hide under.
I am imagining quite a few people who know and the thought of them being incharge would make me very afraid.
The scarry bit us that for all those who would be OK you would get one who really wants to do it and is sure he can,even before he's had a skinful.

This isn't dissimilar to my plan for a reformed democracy - but I wanted to have more than just age as a qualifier. So i'd have a system of gaining credits which demonstrate that you are capable of thinking about wider society. Volunteering for charities, setting up social enterprise organisations, working in jobs that contribute to society such as teaching, health care, social work (would need to work on a definition there) - everything positive contributes points such that anyone theoretically could qualify by the age of 30 if they were reasonably engaged with society and active in trying to make the world a better place (but those who spend their 20s focused on making as much money as possible would probably find it took longer to qualify.

The problem with this system is that whilst it makes parliament more representational or ordinary people, it also makes parliament less accountable. With no elections the is no comeback or consequences for a bad decision!

You're not going to force people to go in the ballot because that would be like the Hunger Games, of course you can't force people to do a job

We (well, the government) force people to do jury service. Many countries have military conscription. Forcing people to do "government service" or else they go to jail isn't a problem.

Maybe we could start by forcing people to actually vote. All those people that don’t bother might be able to bring about big changes

This sounds very much like a plan I came up with 30 years ago where the government would comprise people taken from the electoral register, exactly the same way we choose juries.

Bob, you're on to something with that system I reckon....but for me I'd say you have to build those credits before standing for election. I still want elections in a democracy, not sure how op idea represents democracy.

Safari, how are you going to force me to actually do anything constructive in the job I've been selected for in the games? Conscription for the army isn't a great comparison, they're not legislating. Don't get me started on jury service.

I would of course be overjoyed to run the Lighthouse Dictatorship but no way would I volunteer in a system of ballots etc.

Also OP mentioned people being "sound" in body and mind, some decent politicians from the 20th & 21st centuries would not be allowed to enter the ballot which demonstrates another problem.

quotefancy.com/media/wallpaper/3840x2160/2752478-Billy-Connolly-Quote-The-desire-to-be-a-politician-should-bar-you.jpg

There is a group somewhere that pushes for a sort of representational democracy. They argue that our current system was designed for men on horseback to ride days to get to a Parliament where they were not really representing all the people in their constituency ( sounds familiar given the attendance of some and the lobbying and treats of big corporations)
The idea would be to sack all the politicians and hold debates/ votes on the issues using modern technology with instant votes and de isions. Then the civil servants enact the results.
I can see some problems, like “who sets the agenda” mind.

Maybe we could start by forcing people to actually vote

Please no! People who don't have any interest and are totally uninformed will wander in and vote for all kinds of lunacy. Their vote will of course have equal weighting with peiple who are passionate and well read on the options.

This sounds very much like a plan I came up with 30 years ago where the government would comprise people taken from the electoral register, exactly the same way we choose juries.

The thing is that there has also been an argument for about the last 30 years about juries and how they are basically made up of the people who are least qualified to understand and make decisions on complex matters - namely people who are too stupid to get out of jury service have time to serve on a jury.

There's a genuine problem, particularly with juries for complex fraud trials where a lay person of average intelligence cannot be expected understand the issues. I rather think that this would also apply to running the country.

The trouble with this is you may end up with people who have little interest in what they are doing, or are angered at being forced to do it. Either one wouldn’t serve the country well - the angry one could go out of their way to make mischief in some way, even.

There was a computer game called Simcity where you built cities and had to plan for the populations needs. Your score was based on how happy your general population was. If you didn't provide for their needs well e.g. poor infrastructure, not enough hospitals, schools etc they'd be unhappy. You also had to provide law enforcement etc. So if you didn't plan your city well enough crime rates could increase and population becomes less happy.

I propose that people who want to hold a leadership position could compete in Simcity or similar virtual computer game and the winner gets the position of leadership.

LighthouseSouth that is a well reasoned response to the Op. It highlights the issues where the Op is looking less like a democracy and more like a forced regime.

Not everyone who would automatically be included in the sweepstake would be suited for leadership and may not even want to. A sweepstake like Op described would remove freedom and autonomy from the people. And who dictates those who are of sound mind etc to be included in the sweepstake? Good question.

Tom Shakespear proposed this for Upper house 'of Lords' years ago.

Can't say I'm a fan. Most people wouldn't want to, and those that would want to would tend to be extremists.

Oh I loved SimCity

But what if someone came along who hated cars and made all the parking spaces narrower, to fit cycles instead. We'd end up with tax system crashing due to everyone giving their cars up, massive unemployment due to factories and suppliers going out of business and massive increase in welfare payments which couldn't be paid because no tax. People's mental health affected so more pressure on nhs which would need more money.

I think to a degree we need career politics but there needs to be a minimum education requirement for the specific roles: chancellor needs economics/maths and business phd, PM needs international studies and economics, home sec needs policing and economics etc.

Part of the problem is that people get given a role with no idea of the issues thats faces the department they are meant to lead other than what gets reported in the press so they then start looking for the 'quick win headlines' which can then have knock on problems like mentioned above but guess what - its someone elses department it effect so someones elses problem but they got the positive headline so all's good.

When taking over a new dept, all ministers / secretaries shoild have a 1 month compulsory full time induction working with frontline staff i.e health sec spends fri and sat nights in the busiest a&e dept in the country, sundays with paramedics, mondays with chief execs / bed managers, tuesdays on the wards helping patients etc

Part of the problem is that people get given a role with no idea of the issues thats faces the department

Yes but that's where our excellent professional civil service come in. Each department is actually run by an "unelected faceless bureaucrat" (educated and experienced person who knows what they are doing). The minister provides guidance as a representative of the people but isn't expected to always be a specialist in the area covered by the department. This is fine. The role of MPs and government ministers is not to actually run the country! (I love watching Yes Minister, Yes Prime Minister and the excellent House of Cards (UK version).

LighthouseSouth

Thing sometimes especially in times of war you just need a bad

LighthouseSouth

Thing sometimes especially in times of war you just need a bad ass

I wouldn’t want a softy head of the armed forces if we were in war I want a hard arse who is a winner