Random Representation

Here’s a trick you haven’t tried,
Possibly even a cure—
Randomize democracy.

Spin for representatives
By citizenship numbers.
Never mind geography.

You can’t gerrymander fate,
Campaign for a lottery.
Tier those representatives.

Every year, half or a third
Of the lower house comes up.
Every other year the same

For a new middle chamber
For randomly selected
Larger demographic groups,

And every fourth year the same
For an upper chamber drawn
Only from lower chambers,

To give some stability,
Longer institutional
Memory. Make the service

Remunerative for reps
As pro athlete salaries
But onerous as juries.

Then hold votes when terms are done,
But like customer ratings—
Higher scores, bigger payouts.

Make those really worth something,
Motivate those reps to seek
Love from their constituents

Rather than from their donors.
There you go—political
Poetry, as it all is.