Date Document Was Significantly Modified: 2014-Dec-3 (Wed)
The scientific method, science, or engineering consistently and effectively creates and improves products and services that are in high demand. Unfortunately, economics and politics are still based on superstition, philosophy, and other non-scientific methods. Thus, I propose a new type of government to be tested on at least one relatively small and willing community. If my political system works, then continue using it, analyze its cause-and-effect relations to improve it, and test it out on other communities. If my political system fails, then reject it for the tested community, analyze why it failed, and try it out on other communities. I will label my political system as a type of a meritocracy combined with a bill of rights that protects individuality.
Government officials must have superior scores on certain tests. These government qualification tests must at least include science (especially the scientific method), social skills (e.g., emotional intelligence & communication skills), and morality. The science test helps ensure the government officials understand the tangible world’s cause and effect relations, how to identify factors, control factors, and develop practical solutions. The social skills test recognizes the importance of self-awareness, self-control, working within a team, and leading a team. The morality test minimizes corruption in government officials. Government officials cannot be guilty of any major crime and major misdemeanor (e.g., assault, rape, murder, major larceny, major vandalism, embezzlement, major fraud, severe abuse of family, extreme neglect of family, and/or treason) and cannot have citizenship with any other nation(s) or foreign entities.
Other tests are optional. These optional tests include national and/or international history, ethnic culture, military knowledge and skills, physical fitness, mental and physical health, public speaking skills, fashion & beauty standards, various forms of art, religion and philosophy, foreign issues, and other topics. The government qualification tests should be designed to ensure the government worker is at least adequately capable for a specific government job. In other words, the government qualification tests should be customized for each government job’s requirements.
Experts in the relevant topics will create, administer, and grade the government qualification tests. These experts will hire the personnel (based on the person’s test performance) for the government agency that will manage the overall test standards. This government agency will be in charge of hiring other government workers based on test performance. The court system will remove any government worker who is inexcusably corrupt and/or incompetent. For lesser corruption and/or incompetence, the manager will fire, demote, or lay off his/her workers.
The higher achievers will have a higher probability of obtaining government jobs, and if they obtain government jobs, then they will obtain higher ranking jobs. The lower achievers will have a lower probability of acquiring government jobs, and if they acquire government jobs, then they will acquire lower ranking jobs. The tests will be updated as soon as possible. The tests will be repeated every 6 years. Different tests and various test schedules could be created for different government agencies and/or jobs.
To prevent the rich from excessively using their money to buy superior teachers and superior resources (e.g., better transportation to and from schools, better computers, better school facilities, better telecommunications, better textbooks, better stationery, & better study rooms) in order to unfairly out-compete the less wealthy classes, the government will provide affordable & optional public schools for everyone. These public schools should have the resources to help anyone to have a fair chance at passing the government qualifications tests. People have the right to choose to go to private schools, public schools, or a combination of both.
Taxation is based on a sales tax. Services and products of basic necessity to moderate luxury have the lowest taxes. These services and products include, but are not limited to: basic water and groceries, basic energy, basic housing, basic clothes, basic furniture, basic tools, basic transportation, infrastructure construction & upgrades for the masses, infrastructure maintenance and repairs for the general public, public education, essential and/or widespread government services and products, common electronics, popular restaurants, normal haircuts, frequent medical services, medical services that involve life and death, & vehicles typically used by the middle class. Services and products for high luxury have the highest taxes.
Everyone will pay the sales tax. The sales tax revenue could be allocated based on the payer’s location (i.e., the payer’s location when s/he bought the service and/or product). The nation will be divided into (from smallest to largest) towns or cities, counties, and states. At least a relative majority or the largest portion of the sales tax revenue will be allocated for the payer’s location’s town or city government. The second largest portion of the sales tax revenue will be allocated for the payer’s location’s county government. The third largest portion goes to the state government. The fourth largest portion goes to the central, federal, or national government. Thus, the more local and smaller government receives a larger portion of the sales tax revenue, but the more distant and larger government contains a larger number of sales-tax payers.
The above tax system is designed so that 2 scenarios exist. Scenario 1: the net-total tax revenue is more or less evenly distributed amongst 4 groups: (1) all of the town or city governments, (2) all of the county governments, (3) all of the state governments, and (4) the national government. Scenario 2: the net-total tax revenue gives the most money to the first group, gives the second most money to the second group, gives the third most money to the third group, and gives the least money to the fourth group. Stated differently, the tax system prevents any group from having an excess monetary advantage over other groups, or the tax system favors a team of more local governments over a team of more distant governments.
The government is required to poll and conduct censuses on the general populace to understand the entire population’s quality of life, education standards, career opportunities, approval ratings for various operations of the government, approval ratings for various government agencies and personnel, and opinions about a wide variety of domestic and foreign issues. The polls and censuses should be broken up into segments, and each segment should be performed at least once every 2 years. The polls and censuses will help the government better manage the nation.
A government official’s compensation is based on his/her approval rating from the general public. The compensation is based on an exponential curve between the compensation versus the approval rating. Here is one example: For sheriffs, mayors, governors, legislators, judges, presidents, prime ministers, and other government officials managing a town, city, state, province, or central government agency, an approval rating of 33% means the government official receives an annual salary equal to 3 times the respective community’s median salary for one worker. An approval rating of 66% results in an annual salary equal to 7 times the community’s median salary for one worker. An approval rating of 90% results in a salary equal to 17 times the community’s median salary. An approval rating of 99% or higher results in a salary equal to 43 times the community’s median salary.
Retirement accounts for government officials must be based on long-term investments, not on market timing. A government official’s personal investments and private businesses must be analyzed by a neutral accounting firm to prevent insider deals, revolving doors, nepotism, cronyism, favoritism, government contracts, government investments, government-controlled businesses, government spending, illegal bribery, and legalized bribery from excessively controlling the political system, private economy, and personal lives. Excluding the aforementioned income sources, a government official may NOT obtain money and/or gifts from any other source. Friendship or trustworthy relationships are important, but so are talents, skills, and knowledge that could benefit the community.
All types of popular governments throughout history around the world is based on herding people together. The effects from a unified team could be much greater than the sum of the individual parts. However, the herd could become too oppressive or simplistic toward more unique situations, individuals, and smaller communities. A nation must balance the needs of the entire community versus the minority communities versus the individual. One size does not always fit all. Thus a bill of rights is needed to protect the basic rights and responsibilities of an individual’s body and mind, property, privacy, proportional self-defense, and expression. Generally speaking, a person has the right to do anything as long as s/he does not unfairly harm another person. The same can be said about communities. The harm could be direct and/or indirect. Proportional self-defense is acceptable.
Here’s a brief definition of the scientific method:
(1) Create hypothesis about specific factors involved in cause and effect relationship.
(2) Perform repeatable and tangible experiment(s) to prove or disprove hypothesis.
(3) Learn from hypothesis experiment(s).
(4) Use null hypothesis to avoid confirmation bias and to seek multiple causes with the same or similar effect.
(5) Perform repeatable and tangible experiment(s) to prove or disprove null hypothesis.
(6) Learn from null-hypothesis experiment(s).