Not being prepared for the job of being a capable elected representative is one of several flaws of western democracy. Too many greenhorns that need a year or two to figure out how to be effective; too many people who really shouldn’t be there — even if they stay a decade on the job.

My ulterior motive on Medium is to promote an alternative system of democratic governance. In this system, people start at the low levels. But to start, they need to get trust and respect of their neighbors. As the low level reps get some experience and understanding, the better ones will move up.