This is something I've been thinking about for a while so I'm just gonna throw out my idea below if the filters will let me:
A True House of Representatives
From the earliest Ancient Greek Democracies sortition, or the random selection of office holders, was used to ensure the fairness and equality of the society. The ancient Athenians distrusted elections as they believed that elections would only be won by those who were already rich, powerful and/or popular. And that the average citizen was quite capable of discussing and deciding on the topics of the day. If fact only about 10% of their public officials were elected into office. These were offices that required special training or skill such as treasurers, military generals, and those in charge of the water supply.
Today, we still use this process to select our Juries for court cases for much the same reason that the Greeks did.
It should be obvious to most observers that our current political situation has become extremely polarized and beholden to special interests.
I believe that selecting our House of Representatives by sortition could go a long way towards alleviating some of these problems. By selecting random Americans we will get a better representative cross-section in the House. This could increase the political vitality of the House. Getting new and different people into the political sphere should also feed up into the Senate and the Presidency as those that serve well will get noticed and elected to these higher offices.
We would eliminate the need to campaign and with it the need for campaign money for House elections. Think about that for a second. No longer having representatives voting with campaign funds on their mind.
My proposal for doing all this?
In January of even years each House District randomly selects 48 candidates from registered voters over 25 years old currently living in that district. After months of learning about their candidates the public will vote, on the standard Election Day, for their top eight. Whether the voters get one vote, eight single votes, eight weighted votes or some other process will be up to the states. Once the top eight candidates are selected the current incumbent's name is added to the selection pool and the Representative randomly is picked from these nine.
FAQs
What would the qualifications for candidates be?
The current qualifications as laid out in the constitution are : each representative must: (1) be at least twenty-five years old; (2) have been a citizen of the United States for the past seven years; and (3) be (at the time of the election) an inhabitant of the state they represent. Members need not live in their districts.
The easiest way to implement this idea would be to add that candidates must be selected from registered voters currently living in the district.
What's to keep some random bozo from becoming my representative?
First, it should be noted that the whole purpose of this plan is to get a wider cross section of the population involved in the legislature of the country. Secondly, voters would have 10 months to learn about their candidates and then vote out the least qualified among them.
Wouldn't getting selected be a huge burden? Wouldn't I lose my job for disappearing for two years?
Well putting patriotic and civic duty aside. Representatives currently earn $174,000. Or almost 4 times the median household income in the US. So for the average American being selected would practically be like winning the lottery. Also, laws could be enacted similar to those protecting the jobs of jurors or national guard troops that are deployed.
Why add the incumbent back into the selection pool?
The purpose of this is to provide for some continuity within the House. The idea being that having some members that have served before will help in running the House more smoothly. With 435 members and a 1/9 chance of reselection there would be about 48 incumbents from the previous term and as many as 5 or 6 third term members.
But I really like my Representative, isn't this proposal going to push out some highly effective politicians?
It could be argued that your Representative would have a 1 in 9 chance of staying for one more term. Also, if this person is such a great mind and talent that their loss would hamper the country then they should think of running for a Senate seat.
Why are you not advocating sortition for the Senate or the Presidency?
The founders wanted the Senate to be the upper house of Congress full of the country's elder statesmen. That is implied by the higher standard of qualifications and the much longer term of office. I believe that this idea still has some merit, and that some of the House members will filter up into the Senate as they prove themselves. This same principal applies to the Presidency only more so.
Also, doesn't the name “House of Representatives” practically demand a random cross-section of the nation?
Won't having a bunch of random people make for some crazy laws?
Well first remember that the election process should weed out the “craziest” individuals. Secondly, there are several checks and balances that would keep the House from just passing whatever laws it wants.
The Senate has to also pass every bill that the House does before it can become a law.
The President must sign every bill passed by Congress before it can become a law.*
The Supreme Court will invalidate any law that it finds to be unconstitutional.
*not counting a 2/3 veto-override vote by both houses of Congress
