We brain-stormed about some possible design paramters for a new election system. Here are some of the ideas we came up with.

• Replace the electoral college
• Money plays only a small role
• No nepotism
• No TV ads
• Encourage a more than 2 party system
• encourage a no-party system
• age cut off (80?)
• Fair - every vote counts equally
• Right to vote is protected (for everyone over 18)
• Everyone who runs gets their name on the ballot
• Encouage people to vote. mandatory, pay, rewards, lottery
• Election day should be a holiday
• Encourage a diversity of candidates

Here is a reconstructionist approach to a set of design parameters that might have led to the current system.

• Drags out the elcetion process for 2 or more years.
• Makes television ads the primaruy means of communicationg with voters.
• Gives some states in inordinate influence, and disenfranchises others.
• Makes chasing money the most important goal.
• Allows party insiders to hijack the outcome.
• Strengthens the propoenents of fringe issues.
• Sets up binary thinking.
• Marginalizes important issues.
• Is manipulated by the media to create headlines, rather than substantive debate of the issues.

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