> The way I see it, the basic problem of government is "how do we get honest and competent people into power?"
I entirely disagree.
The basic question of political theory is "How do we create and maintain a just society?" Government, and the kind of government, is a large part of this answer. Just laws are another large part. The distribution of power is another part. But first you have to answer what constitutes a just society at all, and you will already have disagreements. For me, I turn to Martha Nussbaum's Capability Theory, and her Ten Central Capabilities, for guidance on what capabilities every individual in a just society should have. It's not a clear-cut answer, but it's an excellent starting point.
Your mistake, as I see it, is to conflate governmental positions with power. But power isn't that simple; or rather, it's much simpler than that. Getting honest and competent people into power involves more than governmental hiring practices and elections; it involves controls on the private sector and on the wealthy and on the charismatic. That seems a slippery slope to go down.
I entirely disagree.
The basic question of political theory is "How do we create and maintain a just society?" Government, and the kind of government, is a large part of this answer. Just laws are another large part. The distribution of power is another part. But first you have to answer what constitutes a just society at all, and you will already have disagreements. For me, I turn to Martha Nussbaum's Capability Theory, and her Ten Central Capabilities, for guidance on what capabilities every individual in a just society should have. It's not a clear-cut answer, but it's an excellent starting point.
Your mistake, as I see it, is to conflate governmental positions with power. But power isn't that simple; or rather, it's much simpler than that. Getting honest and competent people into power involves more than governmental hiring practices and elections; it involves controls on the private sector and on the wealthy and on the charismatic. That seems a slippery slope to go down.