How could we fix the political system so that the cream and not the scum floats to the top?

I agree with all your suggestions, especially the quiet (which is no longer so quiet) money out of it.  Each candidate for office should get the same amount of money and they can spend it on their campaigns in whatever way they choose.  That would eliminate getting the best candidates money can buy.

Another change would be to preclude any candidate, irrespective of how much time they served, from lobbying.  In fact, maybe we should eliminate lobbying completely.  

Also, end lifetime pensions and healthcare no matter how long a politician serves, and only presidents and their immediate minor children get secret Service protection.  When the children reach 21 or 25, that stops.  

I'm on the fence about mandatory retirement ages.  There are 70-year olds who are more competent than some 40-year olds.  That would have to be on a case-by-case basis.  

Slightly off topic, I don't think appointments to the Supreme Court of the United States should be lifetime.

I like your suggestions, and how the idea of putting limits on the generous lifetime benefits would also save a ton of money.  

If a mandatory age of retirement can be imposed on the little-guy non-official gov’t jobs, it seems to me only just that it applies to the big-boy jobs too, and for the same reasons. 

Yes, we agree on the Supreme Court, in fact, I mentioned it in another post about term limits today. 

I think if they were to limit the generous lifetime benefits and impose term limits, there might be candidates that run to actually further the interests of their constituents and the country rather than line their own pockets and give them access to other politicians for purposes of lobbying.  Remove the greed factor and perhaps it would be replaced with altruism.

It's impossible to implement a meritocracy.
To do so, you would first need some system in place to judge merit.
And it is human nature that the very people who create said system would view themselves as having high merit.
So the system has a major flaw before it's even implemented.

I agree that leadership is a reflection of the society being led. It's difficult to get better people to run in a society that seems to have a serious form of self hatred as well as an intense loathing of opposition to political correctness. We hold elections and work to overturn them. John Adams was right when he said that the people are a mob. He oughta see it now. 

Is that a factual statement or your opinion?

And considering that the USA is a constitutional republic, to which democracy does your answer refer? This post was edited by Stu Spelling Bee at September 4, 2018 6:12 AM MDT

Good answer. It's rare to see someone that recognizes the fact that the United States is a constitutional republic and isn't afraid to say so. Informed answers are always a pleasure to see. :)

*would HAVE failed.

How you can write so carelessly and then say "cheers" is a bit of a head-scratcher.