Problems w/ republics and democracies
Central paradox of democracy
How do you enable the majority to govern while also keep it from infringing on the rights of the minority?
How bad voter ignorance is
What is it depends on whether you subscribe to the delegate model or trustee model of representation?
Another ironic problem w/ democracy
"Democracy doesn't so much eliminate the possibility of tyranny as it does replace it with the possibility of tyrannical majorities."
Emolument
What is payment for an office of employment; compensation?
Attainted
What is disgraced, had a sentence of attainder passed against, stripped of one's rights, titles, or possessions, condemned to a life of outlawry, have a stigma imparted to?
Problem with (direct) democracy
What is most voters don't know something about govt and politics?
Short time horizons
Problems w/ democracies and republics
Excise tax
What is an internal (w/in the country for these things happening) tax levied on the manufacture, sale, or consumption of a commodity?
Attainder
What is losing one's legal and civil personhood, as thorough losing the capacity to own or pass on property; dishonor; or the extinction of civil right and capacities of a person, consequent upon sentence of death or outlawry?
Problem with representative democracy
What is it is hard to keep tract of our reps and make sure they're looking out for our best interests?
People who tend to vote
Who are the people who are most knowledgeable or at least the most passionate?
One reason term limits might be good
What is at some point incumbents get so much power they become practically unbeatable?
Impost
What is a duty or tax laid by the government on goods imported into a country?
Compulsory voting
What is if you don't vote you get fined?
Delegate model of representation
What is where your representative votes based on what you and your fellow constituents want (this debate also comes up in debates over govt transparency and when one is torn between voting for what your group wants and what the whole nation wants)?
Condorcet Paradox
What is you can rig the election system if there are an odd number of candidates by the order in which you have candidates face off head to head?
Letter of marque
Downside of compulsory voting
What is you can force people to vote but you can't force them to learn; in other words, this might lead to uptick in voter ignorance?
Trustee model of representation
What is where reps vote in their constituents' place based on what they themselves think is best, the argument for this model being that they are specialists and know better than we do?
Who is the person who picks the order of the votes and thus determines the winner?
Bill of attainder
What is a legislative act declaring a person guilty and imposing punishment without a trial?