My Utopia

Since humans have come into existence some form of organization of people under a common rule, or government, has also existed. America currently employs the system of Democracy where citizens vote upon major decisions. For a long time though, countries had an Aristocracy, a system where an elite group rules over the people. While corruption soon ended these governments’ reign, many of the core beliefs of an Aristocracy would evade the problems endured by America today, such as opposing political parties and the excessively intricate three branch government. Therefore, a modified version of Aristocracy, Voluntary Aristocracy, ruled by an intellectually and morally elite group of people, would make a more efficient and practical government in America.

Differing from other governments, Voluntary Aristocracy is run by a select group of rulers and does not require voting, due to its small and nearly permanent ruling class. Seeming problematic at first, no voting actually eliminates many minutiae of government that can slow it. Creating contention for seats in government, elections can result in rivalries between factions and takes time from leaders’ duties. Attempting to collect the opinions of approximately 200 million eligible citizens, elections are long and tedious as well as difficult to arrange. In addition, this system eliminates Political Parties, which can divide a country between opposing loyalties. Subsequently, because this government does not have elections as a means to hear the people’s opinion, this system would rely on income taxes as a no-confidence vote similar to a veto power. Occurring numerous times a year, income taxes, while not enforced, would discontinue services such as public schools for the citizen if not paid, but if the government was truly corrupt or inept, a lack of taxpayers would lead to its downfall. However, many specific rules would be needed to make using the veto power of refusing taxation practical for people who might need services like public schools. In families, for instance, it can be detrimental for a child to miss a month of school. In order to avoid these consequences, a citizen can indicate on their taxes their intentions of not paying taxes again to give the government warning without experiencing the backlash of renouncing your government. In addition, the small governing body with only one branch of government makes this system simple and effective. Consisting of less than a handful of people, they all would be educated, morally grounded, and focused on advancing America. Interpreting laws, making federal decisions, and passing laws according to unanimous decisions, these busy leaders could never accomplish all the government’s duties and consequently would makes councils; councils for judiciary purposes, law enforcement, taxes, infrastructure and so on. Making even more subordinate councils, the councils designated by the leaders would create a hierarchy of power where at any moment all the levels of this government could be destroyed and rebuilt if an inadequate government causes citizens to not pay their taxes. Plato, one of the great Greek Philosophers, outlines a government ruled by a similar group of leaders which revolves around the idea of the “ideal state, in which only philosophers are fit to rule”( Garth Kemerling, page 1). Keeping the government filled with only the most qualified people and having them pick their successors ensures that government will always be capable and concerned with the public’s needs. Also, if some leak of corruption taints this group of leaders, they can be removed at any time. So while it may appear that this aristocracy could be easily corrupted, citizens power to refuse taxes checks this system from going awry.

Democracy in America, on the other hand, varies from Voluntary Aristocracy mainly by its dependency on voters and the government’s three branch system. Differing with term limits, elections for most positions occur every few years, with politicians jockeying for votes. This struggle for office has led to particular stances formed by candidates, which eventually forms an entire faction based upon this idea, called a party. Parties in America, warned against by George Washington, have now transformed a group of people once brought together by a common view point into a group of people working collectively to have their fellow party members elected. Thus, parties act against other parties in order to retain dominance, which has split the nation and misconstrued ideas from the faction’s original formation to receive more votes. Moreover, America’s three branch system also presents a distinct quality of the government in America. The Legislative Branch writes laws, the Executive Branch enforces laws, and the Judicial Branch interprets the laws. All of these branches of government have the power to veto each other, in a system of checks and balances. This system truly epitomizes the American view of Democracy, in that Democracy in America was formed in response to the English Monarchy, where one king ruled. Protecting the nation from any branch becoming too powerful or corrupt, it symbolizes the fear of another monarchy that founders of the country felt and illustrates their answer for a system where all equally share in power. Undoubtedly, this system gives the common man more equality than previously received, but political parties attempting for political dominance can defeat the purpose of Democracy.

As seen in the aforementioned paragraphs, while these governments are based on the idea of representing the common man and his rights, many other characteristics other than the branches of government separate the two. Their plans for preventing corruption in government, a common cause of a country’s failure, take very different approaches as one relies on the public’s veto power and the other relies on citizens’ voting. In History, the main factor in many Aristocracies’ failure, corruption, could not be checked because the rulers had supreme power. Yet in a Voluntary Aristocracy, the government cannot make strides in accomplishing anything against the public’s will because their citizenship and more importantly their tax dollars remain tentative. This property can be likened to a building - a building must be built with a solid foundation or else it will fall. In a Voluntary Aristocracy, if corrupted officials form the base of the hierarchy of government, then the people will refuse to pay taxes, abolishing the government. In effect, its citizens should never have to suffer less than the best leaders at any time. Conversely, Democracy requires its citizens to elect the best candidate from a non-biased population on a regular basis to ensure corruption does not come within government. Unfortunately, because of political parties, many voters favor one party over another, sometimes blinding a voter of the bad characteristics of a candidate. Also, these parties power mustered behind candidates often leaves only two candidates from either party in the election, forcing voters to choose the lesser of two evils. Furthermore, how the citizens participate in their governments also differentiates the two. Without elections as in a Voluntary Aristocracy, the only way the average citizen can show his disapproval with leadership lies in his or her option to pay taxes. Its simplicity, though, proves an attribute because it accomplishes the same as elections do: they indicate that either the current leader fulfills their responsibilities or changes need to be made. Also, people need to pay their taxes to remain a citizen on a regular basis, meaning that every time taxes are due the nation receives a 100% voter turnout on whether the government is running effectively and efficiently. While “122 million people voted in the November (2004, presidential) election, a number that translates into the highest turnout -- 60.7 percent -- since 1968”, this statistic only highlights a grim point of democracy(Brian Faler, January 15, 2005; Page A05). With little more than half of American citizens actively involved in politics, 80 million more votes could have been cast, which is more than were cast for either major candidate. Taxation always is a necessary part of government, but voting is not enforced and many people remain uninvolved in the Democratic process. Despite not having elections, Voluntary Aristocracy will always have a solution to corruption and be able to fully understand its efficiency and general status upon tax returns, while Democracy relies on the three fifths of its population voting in an election wrapped in political parties to maintain a stable government.

Undoubtedly, Democracy has given the common man equality through the vote and protection from any persons becoming too powerful with its three branches and system of checks and balances. However, the ability to manipulate these factors and the nation’s falling participation has shone light upon the fallacies on the system. Voluntary Aristocracy, in reality, is just a stepping stone towards the perfect Utopia, finding the errors in our government and correcting them. Similar to how Democracy in America was a response to the unfair Monarchy in England, Voluntary Aristocracy also advances the efficiency and productivity of government by focusing on the errors past, learning from them, and forming a ‘novus ordo seculorum’.

Bibliography
Garth Kemerling, 9 August 2006, Philosophy Pages, “Plato” http://www.philosophypages.com/ph/plat.htm
Brian Faler, 15 January 2005, Washington Post - page A05, “Election Turnout in 2004 Was Highest Since 1968”, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10492-2005Jan14.html