WLim@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU (08/23/86)
It seems that libertarians and non-libertarians agree on the necessity of government. It is the question of how much power the government should have that is heatedly discussed on Poli-Sci. Given that government is not going to go away, an important issue that must be dealt with is how can government be made accountable. I have an idea (as a first cut) that covers the presidency. Let's have a system that puts in free market type incentives in making presidents accountable. Perhaps we can evolve into something reasonable from the following. Every presidential candidate must submit for public scrutiny a presidential plan much like a business plan that every entrepreneur looking for venture capital must submit. The document is essentially the candidate's plan for achieving certain goals covering the economy (e.g. yearly GNP, inflation, unemployment, etc targets), foreign policy (specific policy and goals with a schedule for when those goals will be achieved), social issue (e.g. what to do (including doing nothing) about the poor, the young, the aged, the disfranchised, etc.), defense (what to achieve, when, how and how much) and other issues like science and technology, education, etc. It should also give the credentials of the cabinet members. Once elected, the president has to carry out the plan. The plan can be suspended in time of emergencies like a nuclear war. We (the people) work out a formula and schedule for reward and punishment (financial) for the president. We sort of act like investors in the entrepreneur analogy. The candidate has to give an indication to us that he/she does believe in his/her plan e.g. take a substantial cut in salary or may be even put some of his/her (or his/her supporters' or party's) properties/wealth in escrow. If the targets are achieved, the president gets a reward e.g. a few megabucks for that year plus perhaps the return of some of the properties/wealth. A failure would result in either no reward or loss of part of his/her properties/wealth to the state (say, to pay for the maintenance of the judicial system in the case of a libertarian society). The duration and amount of the properties/wealth that are held in escrow depends on the schedule presented i.e. they can be held beyond the term(s) served. So can rewards be made after the term(s) served. Note: For those of you who have never written a business plan, it ain't easy to write. You have to present goals that are optimistic enough to get the money (from the investors) or the votes (from the people) and yet realistic enough so that you have a reasonable chance of achieving them. Also, you never have all the necessary information to make those projections. Venture capitalists always try to make sure that if they lose, you lose more than them and if you win, you and they win big. They expect you to show some commitment to the venture. This usually means a salary cut or that you (or your partners and associates) have already made a reasonable amount of personal investment in the venture. Willie ------- -------