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Single Idea 23260

[filed under theme 24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / d. Representative democracy ]

Full Idea

A method by which legislators can be rendered independent of both party control and career ambitions is a cap on the amount of time they can serve as legislators.

Gist of Idea

A cap on time of service would restrict party control and career ambitions

Source

A.C. Grayling (The Good State [2020], 4)

Book Ref

Grayling,A.C.: 'The Good State' [Oneworld 2021], p.101


A Reaction

The time of service must allow for learning the job, and then using the wisdom of experience. Presumably some career ambitions are needed if we are to have leaders. Not all party discipline is bad; great achievements are hard without it.


The 20 ideas with the same theme [the people chose a small group to govern]:

If the people are equal in nature, then they should all share in ruling [Aristotle]
It is wrong that a worthy officer of state should seek the office [Aristotle]
No office is permanent in a democracy [Aristotle]
If you try to get elected, you should be permanently barred from seeking office [More,T]
If deputies represent people, they are accountable, but less so if they represent places [Montesquieu]
The English are actually slaves in between elections [Rousseau]
Your representative owes you his judgement, and betrays you if he gives your opinion instead [Burke]
Representatives by region ignores whether they care about the national interest [Hegel, by Pinkard]
People can only participate in decisions in small communities, so representatives are needed [Mill]
When we seek our own 'freedom' we are just trying to avoid responsibility [Kierkegaard]
Universal suffrage is no guarantee of wise choices [Tocqueville]
People like democracy because it means they can avoid power [Baudrillard]
Modern liberal rights in democracies protect individuals against the majority [Sandel]
A cap on time of service would restrict party control and career ambitions [Grayling]
Modern democracy is actually elective oligarchy [Watson]
In the 18th century democratic lots lost out to elections, that gave us a non-hereditary aristocracy [Reybrouck]
Representative elections were developed in order to avoid democracy [Reybrouck]
Representative should be either obedient, or sensible, or typical [Shorten]
There is 'mirror representation' when the institution statistically reflects the population [Shorten]
In a changed situation a Mandated Representative can't keep promises and fight for constituents [Shorten]