Suffrage reflects the will of the people, and therefore is the foundation of a legitimate government. Arbitrary whims of tyrants are no good measure for effective governance, and as Abraham Lincoln made clear, a truly legitimate government is of, by, and for the people. Therefore, along with constitutionality, voting is something that shall necessarily be maintained as a fundamental tenet of the Merito-democratic Republic that is carried forward from the democratic republic, and just like constitutionality, will be upgraded to a more advanced form. So while the election of public officials will still be the modus of the Merito-democratic Republic, it will no longer be based on universal suffrage, but on Qualified Universal Suffrage.
It is simply irrational that in democratic republics, a Ph.D. in history or policy has the exact same vote as a completely uneducated person with zero regard for politics or intellect. Whether this pertains to a direct vote like a presidential election or to a vote for a representative in Congress, you can be absolutely sure that, just as a business caters to its customers to get sales, politicians are going to cater to their constituents to get votes — and surely, when there is no standard of intellect among those constituents, the quality will remain eternally subpar. A single bad hair day or gaff can blow an election, or a single good joke or smile can make one; so fickle, superficial, and shallow are the values of the voting masses with ever decreasing attention spans.
Consider this thought experiment: In an election in the Merito-democratic Republic, two candidates are running against each other for Minister of Finance. What this means is that anyone who has proven sufficient in this subject will have earned their voting rights for this particular election. Voting rights are simply a license that is procured by demonstration of merit. Would you have someone conduct open heart surgery without having gone to medical school? Would you have a lawyer represent you without having passed the Bar exam? Would you want people driving cars without having earned a driver’s license? People must prove themselves before having an active say in politics. This might mean having attained a certain degree, like a master’s degree in economics, or being able to pass a standardized test constructed by impartial councils.
Ultimately, however, we can now imagine how an election will play out. Presentations of platforms and debates will no longer be a reality show circus like modern democratic elections; they will now resemble the entrepreneur who approaches an experienced venture capitalist for funding. Smear campaigns and sound bites will be obsolete. The candidates, as they present their platforms, know that they are doing so in front of qualified, intelligent voters, and so must treat them with intellectual respect. They must get to the point. They must have a valid thesis. Debates will now be highbrow, action-oriented discussions regarding the minutiae of economic policy. The candidates know that if they are to win votes, they need to be truly the best and smartest. Just as the entrepreneur will be rejected by the venture capitalist unless he has a clear business plan, projected numbers, proof of concept, and a strong team, the voters will reject the candidate who does not at minimum meet similar standards.
Apply this approach to all representatives in all categories of government — science, agriculture, education, etc. — and only the smartest and best will rule. Furthermore, the President of the nation will then follow similar standards, voted in by Congress. Realistically, only geniuses will be of calibre even to consider running, as all know who their constituents will be: the smartest people in the land.
The most important and obvious concept to understand when contemplating the Meritocratic government system is that merit is rewarded. But let this be clear: the mere reward of merit will simply create a new elite class, as the elite would perpetually give themselves and their families the tools to pass the tests required to earn voting rights. This is why positive freedom, and a value system within the constitution and government to cultivate every single citizen, is paramount, for merely rewarding merit would yield no true Meritocracy at all. It is the cultivation of merit that stands as the bedrock of a true Meritocracy. Therefore, it should be absolutely inconsequential to a person who their family is, when determining who has access to the education necessary to pass the voting tests. Both approaches, rewarding and cultivating merit, work in tandem to cause Meritocracy to thrive.
This means that education will be the absolute backbone of cultivation, and will therefore be universally available, of equal and utmost quality for all children, absolutely regardless of background. Should a child who was tragically orphaned at a young age grow up in a Meritocratic society, they will be ensured the highest educational standards, and guided to what that they personally are interested in. Then, one day, they will have had the rearing necessary to earn their vote in whatever fields most interest them. The influence within each new generation will perpetually alternate, never to be handed down by nepotism. Each child will have the cultivation necessary to earn voting rights, and then be granted them only after proving meritorious.
By Phoenix Goodman
Excellent article! Quite possibly the single best description of Meritocracy I have read. It coherently and concisely explains a complex subject, so is a great article for people new to the concept of Meritocracy.
I agree, this is a great introduction to the concept of a Qualified Voting System. We need to use the existing specialisation of labour to benefit society. Not everyone can be knowledgeable about everything, but in every field there -are- those who know their stuff: either because they studied their field or because they have experience in it, or a combination of both.