(Fwd) Proxy Voting (was Re: [ER] Our Objective)

[Steve Eppley]

The following message addressed to ER bounced to me because its 
author isn't subscribed to ER.  I'm forwarding it to EM.

--Steve

------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
To: elections-reform at igc.apc.org
Cc: solman at MIT.EDU
Subject: Proxy Voting (was Re: [ER] Our Objective) 
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 1997 21:55:06 EST

Phillip Cutler wrote:
> Therefore, wouldn't it be desirable to design an election reform
> method which provides feedback (tighter control) over our
> legislators throughout the whole election cycle?

It sure would. Here's my take on proxy voting, a solution to this
whole mess.

1. Each citizen gives his name and residence with the government.
Each citizen has a proxy. Any time he wants, he may give that proxy
to another citizen. Whenever that citizen does not cast a vote on an
issue, the person holding his proxy casts it for him. If a citizen
holding another citizen's proxy does not vote, the proxy of the
proxyholder votes, and so on. Proxies given directly to a proxyholder
are "direct". Proxies given to citizens who have given their proxies
to a third citizen are said to be held "indirectly" by that third
citizen.

2. Proxy selections are good for four years after which they expire
unless renewed. Voters can give, reclaim or renew their proxy at any
time. Proxies can be given and reclaimed via the web. Mail
notification is sent after all changes.

3. Any citizen who holds 1000 proxies (either directly or
indirectly) is so notified and required to either register or decline
additional proxies. No proxy may be given to an unregistered person
who already holds 1000 proxies. Other individuals may optionally
register. The votes of registered proxies and some of their financial
information is available on the web and in libraries. Registered
citizens are given space on the web to explain their views. Also a
matter of the public record are:

   1. The number of proxies they hold directly
   2. The number of proxies they hold indirectly through unregistered
            citizens
   3. The number of proxies they hold indirectly through each
            registered citizen.
   4. The name of the person his or her proxy has been given to (if any)

4. 1000 citizens are selected as members of the congress. They are
provided with an office and staff. A list of the citizens who hold
the greatest number of proxies is published. In this list, proxies
held indirectly through members of congress are not included.
Additionally, persons not willing to serve in the congress are not
included. If at any time, a citizen who is not a member of congress
has been amongst the top 1000 on this list for a continuous period of
six months, he takes the place of the member of congress who has not
been amongst the top 1000 for the greatest number of days during the
previous year. If at any time a citizen who is not a member of
congress has twice as many proxies (according to the list) as a
member of congress, that citizen takes the other's place in the
congress. If at any time a member of congress has not been amongst
the top 1000 for a continuous period of six months, the person who is
not a member of congress who has been amongst the top 1000 for the
greatest number of days during the previous year takes the place of
the member in congress.

5. A conflict resolution committee is selected from the members of
the congress by a regular vote (as explained latter). The committee
members have two year terms. Vacancies are filled by a regular vote.

6. The president and cabinet secretaries are selected and removed by
a regular vote. The president has no veto. The secretaries have
control over the actions of their agencies except as regulated by the
constitution and laws passed by the congress. The President has the
same control over the military and everything not covered by a
cabinet secretary. All measures removing secretaries and presidents
must explicitly name their replacements. No person may serve as
president for more than 6 years in any 20 year period. When a new
president or secretary is selected, all other motions concerning the
selection of a new president or secretary are considered to expire.
The president may appoint a temporary secretary in the case of an
unfilled vacancy. The congress may establish a policy for willing
presidential vacancies by a regular vote.

7. Measures can be introduced by gathering support from 20% of the
voters. Alternatives may be introduced to any such measure by
gathering support from 5% of the voters within 30 days. The conflict
resolution committee must rule within 30 days on which pending
measures, if any, are in conflict with the proposed measure and its
alternatives. 

8. Each voter preferentially ranks the alternative measures and none
of the above. A measure becomes law in any of the following
circumstances:

   1. 80% of the voters prefer it over NOTA, and 50% prefer it to each
     alternative.

   2. For a continuous period of two months, 2/3 of the voters prefer
     it over NOTA (that does not mean that each of those 2/3 must have
     preferred it during the entire period. It just means that at no
     time during that period do 1/3 of the voters prefer NOTA) and
     for 10 continuous days, 50% prefer it to each alternative.

   3. For a continuous period of two years, 50% of the electorate
     prefers it over NOTA, and for a period of two months 50% prefer
     it to each alternative.

9. If a new measure or alternative is in conflict with a previously
existing measure, voters may specify that they prefer that the old
measure not pass if the new measure will. When the old measure meets
the requirements in section 8 for passing, but would not meet those
requirements if all those prefering the new measure changed their
votes, the old measure does not become law unless and until the new
measure is defeated.

10. The government provides sufficient public web terminals to allow
all voters to regularly view information about the government and
cast votes. Except on rare issues, few will. But they can.

11. When voting on an issue, any citizen can do one of the following:

   1. Cast a direct vote.
   2. Endorse an individual's judgement on the issue. That individual
     then becomes that citizens proxy for just that issue.

Cheers,
Jason W. Solinsky