this post was submitted on 26 Jul 2025
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[–] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 43 points 1 week ago (2 children)

This is a bad idea. You would just be creating another layer of gerrymandering.

[–] scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 9 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (4 children)

I won't call out of or the drawer for bad idea. The idea is fine. There's just zero ways to ever implement it. It's nice to dream though

[–] savvywolf@pawb.social 5 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Ehh... I think it's fundamentally problematic. Why should only a subset of the adult population be allowed to vote on laws that affect everyone?

[–] ricecake@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

If there were a practical way to do it, a way to ensure that only those who were well informed on a topic could have a say in it wouldn't be an issue. The only barrier to voting would be your desire to inform yourself.

Unfortunately there isn't, because just about every word in the above sentences can be twisted by someone with illintent.
The concept isn't fundamentally flawed, it's just blocked by insurmountable obstacles.

[–] scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Thank you for getting what I was trying to say. Spot on, I don't think the idea is wrong. It would be nice if there was a test to say "hey are you able to vote on these topics, have you researched, are you voting with your brain or with emotions?" - which is why I say the idea is fine. There isn't though. There isn't a single way to do that fairly or equitably.

Thank god the commenters immediately jumped down my throat to tell me what I already knew.

[–] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 week ago

Exactly. The problem with having to meet certain criteria for being able to vote is who gets to set that criteria. We would end up with “black people have to guess the number of bubbles in this bar of soap” all over again.

[–] TheButter_ItSeeps@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

In most places, citizens below a certain age can't vote, yet laws affect them as well. By extension, one could probably argue that some people "don't know what's best for them" and experts/educated people are better suited to make the laws.

(However, creating such a test would obviously be impossible in practice, and would result in a conflict of interest, leading to discrimination, as muusemuuse points out.)

[–] BussyCat@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

You mean like how the house and senate are the ones who actually vote on the laws instead of direct democracy?

[–] Doc_Crankenstein@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Uhh, no the idea is most certainly not "fine"

It's only fine if you don't think about it at all beyond the surface level presentation.

[–] BussyCat@lemmy.world 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The concept that only the educated should vote is essentially the entire advantage of living in a republic. If the test was actually fairly made it would be fine, the real problem is it would be used to limit specific demographics from voting while not actually ensuring only the educated can vote

[–] Doc_Crankenstein@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 week ago

Considering I'm against the concept of living in hierarchical government structures, such as republics, that's not exactly a benefit from my perspective. It just exposes the flaws of living under hierarchy.

[–] astutemural@midwest.social 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You realize that literacy tests were used to exclude minorities from voting, right? The idea is not fine because it's inherently oppressive.

Yes holy shit Jesus fuck yes I know this. Read again the second part where I said that there's no way to do this in reality.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social -2 points 1 week ago (2 children)
[–] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] JakenVeina@midwest.social 3 points 1 week ago

I mean.... I don't see the comic portraying the idea as good. More just using it as a vehicle to call most people dumb.