Who Wants to Run? Incentivizing Better Participation in Politics, with Andrew B. Hall

26 Jun 2024 (6 months ago)

Challenges in Local Governance

The Handforth Parish Council meeting went viral due to its chaotic nature, highlighting the challenges of local governance.
Differential participation in governance can result in the aggregated views of those with the strongest incentives, which may not always align with the broader population.

Polarization in politics is driven more by politicians and interest groups than voters, who tend to be more centrist.
The current system discourages qualified individuals from running for office, leading to extreme candidates with strong policy preferences.
Increasing the pay for state legislators has been shown to reduce polarization by attracting more centrist candidates.

Homeownership increases voter turnout, especially in local elections where zoning issues are on the ballot.
Homeowners are more likely to vote than renters, but the exact reason for this is unclear.
Economic incentives alone do not fully explain the higher voter turnout among homeowners.
Social pressure and a sense of community can also play a significant role in motivating people to vote.

Tech companies have been experimenting with ways to involve their users in governance, but efforts like Facebook's global referendum in 2007-2009 faced low turnout due to the complexity of the decisions and users' lack of interest in engaging with policy documents.
Recently, there has been renewed interest in online voting, particularly in the context of cryptocurrency and decentralized governance.
Decentralized decision-making systems, like those used in crypto projects, face challenges in achieving high participation rates.
Token-based voting systems in crypto projects incentivize participation and experimentation in democratic governance.

Despite concerns about polarization and democracy, there is reason to be cautiously optimistic about the future of democracy.
The US political system has shown resilience in reflecting voters' preferences despite challenges.
New technologies, including AI, may disrupt politics and create opportunities for redesigning political learning and the role of politicians.
Radical changes to the democratic system should be approached with caution, as democracies have proven effective in preventing worst-case scenarios.
Incentivizing engagement, adapting new technologies thoughtfully, and articulating what's at stake can help increase participation and address dysfunctions in politics.