Citizenship Test

A conspecific sent me a “citizenship test” by e-mail http://games.toast.net/independence/page1.asp . I got 28 out of 30 of the answers right, genius that I am. 24 correct is passing. The cover e-mail stated that 86% of high schoolers flunked as did 50% of people over 50. The questions call for some historical knowledge and knowledge about the constitution, but I am not sure that knowing the answers would make you a good “citizen”.

I like to distinguish between the attributes of a good “citizen” and a good “subject” of the state. The former status calls for participation and responsibility, while the latter calls for obedience. The former wants cultivation, the latter domestication. The former requires education, the latter indoctrination. The state doesn’t really care for good citizens; they are a nuisance. The state prefers compliant subjects. The state begets subjects, whereas independent institutions of civil society are needed to produce citizens.

I am not a big supporter of democracy for its own sake. Democracy without the rule of law and recognition of individual rights is as tyrannical as any other form of government, often more so. And democracy in the US is nothing more than political theater. Just about everyone is a “citizen” with an equal vote, no matter how ignorant or unprincipled he may be. The concept of citizen is so debased that citizens in America are indistinguishable from mere subjects.

I wonder if the people of the US would be better off if we were divided into distinct political classes where citizenship and the franchise were conferred on only that part of the population that met certain criteria deemed necessary for the responsibilities associated with citizenship. A class of responsible electors might be maintained to serve on juries, in offices of trust, and as voters in elections. Something must be done; look what the universal suffrage has wrought: Bush. Some criteria that I might suggest:

1. A citizen must have all grandparents born within the US or abroad to American parents. Heck, let’s make it great great great grandparents so as to weed out those potato famine refugees and the Ellis Island immigrants that almost ruined America. This insures that electors and officeholders will have a longstanding stake in America and its founding principles and be untainted by a familial experience with foreign tyranny.
2. No person employed by any government agency or receiving governmental funds for any reason may be a citizen for at least ten years after receipt of the most recent payment. This includes pension benefits.
3. No person employed by or who is an officer or director of a government contractor may be a citizen for ten years.
4. No person who is the business partner, spouse, parent, child or sibling of anyone in categories 2 or 3 above or 5 below may be a citizen while the former is barred.
5. No person who contributes funds to any political campaign may be a citizen for ten years after the contribution. No recipient of funds from a PAC, political party, or similar source may be a citizen for ten years.
6. No person convicted of a crime of violence may be a citizen ever. No person convicted of bribery, election fraud, or larceny may be a citizen ever.
7. Holders of elective office whether or not compensated shall be debarred from voting for ten years after leaving office.
8. Each candidate for citizenship must apply in person under oath and renew in person annually at the county courthouse where he resides. Otherwise, voting and other privileges will be suspended.
9. Any citizen who fails to vote in any election shall be suspended from voting for 4 years thereafter.
10. Any citizen who fails to perform jury duty at least very other year as required will be permanently removed from the citizenship rolls. Non-citizens will not be qualified to be jurors so citizens must take up the slack.

These criteria should insure that voters are not interested in government spending and that those who are interested are disqualified. No thugs are allowed, and you have to care enough about citizenship to fill out a form every year and sit on a jury every other year. This not an elitist program, and I reckon that many elite pork lovers would be cut out of politics. There is no education or literacy requirement. There is really not even a character requirement, but I reckon that the absence of improper incentives would keep the character impaired out of the citizenship racket. There is literally nothing in it for the citizen except duties and the rewards of virtue, i.e. virtue itself.

There should be enough citizens to make it too difficult for anyone to buy their votes.