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Anyone who's been keeping up with the current US presidential election cycle is likely wondering what the hell went wrong with democracy. Americans face a choice between a short-fingered vulgarian and a career criminal/politician as major party candidates, and the system is so inept that voting for a third party is often referred to as "throwing your vote away."

There's no denying that representative democracy in its currently practiced form is completely broken. Not to borrow a talking point from one of those two candidates, but you know it; I know it; everyone knows it. "But what are we supposed to do?" you might say. "It's the best system we've got?"

Is it, though? Why can't we fix the democratic process?

Some people are just too stupid to vote

The biggest problem we have right now is that anyone can get involved in politics. This is something that proponents of the political process will tout as a strength, but it's really not; for every voter that has law degree or a PhD in economics, there's one that last saw the inside of a classroom because they were mopping its floor - or the inside of a courthouse because they were getting arraigned. In fact, considering how expensive it can be to receive a higher education in the United States, people with advanced degrees are wildly outnumbered by those that have an education level of high school or less.

In effect, this means that there are way too many people who are literally "too stupid to vote." This sounds harsh because it is; you may be naturally intelligent, but unless you have the education to match that natural intelligence, you're as useless as tits on a bull. It doesn't even have to be a "formal" education, as the 21st century has furnished us with nearly countless methods of educating yourself thanks to the internet. In the end it remains sadly true: the number of people without an advanced education - and without the drive to pursue one - are legion.

These people should not be involved in politics.

Education is not the answer

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So how do we fix this problem? One way is to double-down on education to ensure that no one leaves high school without not just a working knowledge of civics but an advanced understanding of the political process. This is simply an impossibility, as the modern public education system is more of an indoctrination tool than anything else until you get to the highest levels of specialization (postgraduate study). Private schooling is of course an alternative, but that presents its own obstacles as well - especially since there's no guarantee that a private institution, or even a child's parents if they're being home-schooled, will provide the right kind of education about not being a clueless idiot when it comes to the political process.

Teenagers are almost unilaterally dumber than a bag of hammers. Even when it comes to the so-called "smart" kids, they still lack the perspective and experience that provides a more realistic view of the world. Think back to the first time you were old enough to vote in a national election. Now, think about who you are today. Which version of you is going to do a better job in doing anything properly, let alone voting?

That's why educational efforts are doomed as well.

Voting rights through citizenship

Today, the "right" to vote is largely granted through citizenship status. If you were born in a certain country, or if you went through the naturalization process, you're entitled to participate in representative democracy. Again, this means that anyone can vote, which is just as demoralizing as it is empowering. Restricting citizenship, and therefore the right to vote (and by extension the right to be elected to public office), is a path to better democracy.

If you've read Heinlein's Starship Troopers, or if you've seen the movie, citizenship is handled very differently in that world. Citizenship is a privilege, a reward for meritorious service, and not simply a birthright or something you earn by taking a few night classes. In Heinlein's novel, you don't get to be a citizen - and therefore have no voting rights - unless you've served in the military for a specific period of time.

This sounds crazy on the outside, but the truth is that it would work - and it would work very well. I'm not about to suggest tying citizenship to serving in the military - the military-industrial complex is already out of control in this and many other countries - but withholding citizenship, and therefore limiting political involvement to those who have earned citizenship instead of simply having it granted to them by dint of their birth, reinforces the idea that participating in the political process is a privilege that must be taken seriously.

How a limited citizenship society would work

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It's important to ensure that such a system would not be abused to deprive individuals living within the borders of a certain country human rights. Limiting citizenship along racial, ideological, or religious lines is distinctly unhelpful when it comes to improving the political process, independent of the moral and ethical conundrums that such action would engender.

In order for a limited citizenship society to work, there would need to be certain tiers of privileges that people within a certain country's borders would be given. Universal human rights, such as assurances that you would be free to pursue your own interests provided they are non-violent and do not interfere with the interests of others, would need to be guaranteed. Things like reproductive freedoms, the ability to enter into marriage contracts without government interference, the ability to express yourself without fear of reprisal, the right to a a fair trial in the event you are accused of violating any of these principles - all of these would need to be extended to everyone who sets foot on the soil of a particular country, regardless of their citizenship status. In fact, the only additional "right" that citizens would have when compared to residents or visitors would be their eligibility to vote.

How to earn your vote

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In such a society you would of course need to prove that you're worthy of the privilege of participating in the political process. A series of requirements would need to be met by you in order to gain this privilege, and you would need to continue to prove your worthiness going forward periodically as well.

The requirements for earning the right to vote can be as simple and straightforward as establishing long-term residence in a particular country or as complex as undergoing rigorous education, both in a classroom and in practical matters. Participating in political campaigns as a volunteer, working as an aide to an already-elected official, or pursuing higher education levels in law, economics, or related fields could satisfy some of these requirements easily. In a society where citizenship is regarded an earned privilege, serving in a nation's armed forces might also earn prospective citizens credit towards earning citizenship.

Of course, it will never happen

The above system would likely work quite well, provided there were no financial barriers to earning citizenship and the educational requirements focused on developing skills like critical thinking instead of relying on indoctrinating individuals with nationalistic propaganda. In such a society, those who feel driven enough to become involved in making decisions about the direction of the country would have a path to do so; others, who either lacked the ability or the desire, would eschew their right to earn citizenship knowing that people they can trust are looking out for everyone else.

This is, of course, where everything falls apart. People are inherently selfish, and those with the ambition to serve in public office are almost exclusively seeking power and influence to further their own agenda - often to the detriment of others that have opposing views. Most elected officials do not support legislation that disadvantages themselves but benefits large proportion of the rest of the country, and most people who vote routinely vote against their best interests to place these lawmakers into power, because these voters have been manipulated by dishonest campaigning tactics. This makes them simply too stupid to be voting in the first place, which is why these people need to not be voting any more.

Short of instituting mandatory intelligence tests for voters, the only way to weed out people who have no business voting is to make enfranchisement a privilege instead of a right. This simply isn't going to happen any time soon - but until it does, modern democracy is going to continue to circle the drain.