We could improve democracy

How do we reconcile “rule by the best,” aristocracy, with our democratic republic? We could improve democracy. Our leaders and representatives could be picked by merit and virtue. We have to get the money out of the process of choosing our leaders. We also don't need to choose by families or titles or names, merit is what we want to apply.

I think it was Raymond Cattell who made the sensible suggestion that candidates for office pass exams on subjects relative to their leadership. There should be more social scientists, sociobiologists, and fewer lawyers (now the majority). Government is still, even in a democracy, government by elites---communism was too.

Citizens also could pass general knowledge tests before voting. And sanity tests could also be useful, and freedom from crime. The vote of the classics professor is canceled out by the vote of the man with a record of petty theft. We could trim the voting core to healthy adults.

In the end all leadership questions are ethical questions, and we need leaders capable of making ethical decisions on economics, education, social behavior and military matters. We don't have them now, for the most part.