As politics continue to deteriorate, with previously unimaginable episodes like the pro-Trumpers' storming into the US Capitol on January 6th, we would be wise to consider alternative designs to how we citizens express our political preferences, too often captured by entrenched radical interest groups and artificially-fed polarisation.
A recurring thought on that connects with commitment. We take at face value that, should they win, we have a fairly good idea of what is to be expected from the candidates we voted for. No one will be surprised to read that deviations from words to actions are commonplace. After all, once reality settles in, even some of the most heartfelt intentions of elected politicians never make it out of their electoral programs and manifestos.
This notwithstanding, I believe that more attention should be paid to the commitments of those same candidates were they NOT to win. I find that the prevailing vagueness around such often inexistent promises acts as a destabilising black hole. As a voter casting my ballot, I am actually deeply interested in anticipating what the behaviour or my candidate or party is going to look like –should they be so unlucky– if in opposition.
So interested that I would really like to run the following experiment, particularly in political regimes where more than one party have to generate a governing majority: Candidate A (codename Red) and Candidate B (codename Blue) –playing with the different significance of those colours across the Atlantic– run in the election with two parts to their respective programs. One is unique for each. One is consensus-based and common for both.
This means that as a voter I could choose opting for either, based on their more singular features, but also in the firm understanding that, were my choice to come in behind, I at least know that voters of both candidates will be supporting a defined general agenda. That the leaves –the actually implemented policies– might likely deviate from my top ranked preferences but, at the same time, the trunk –the basic guidelines on the direction of government– with much higher likelihood will be a palatable one.
