GOOD. Because JEEBUZ did not write the Constitution!
I was so happy to see a U.S. Congressman sworn in on a Koran. We need more. We lost our last Hebrew, so Congress is almost entirely WASPs. I'd also like to see some Buddhists in there. But mostly, I want to see some more WOMEN in there. There's a northern European country, I don't remember which (featured on Which Country To Invade Next) that has a mathematical equation for gender representation in Parliament: as I recall, each gender must be between 45% and 60% represented.
Each gender? Or are they calculating based on biological sex? If the latter, that still leaves out intersex folks, unless there's also a metric in place for their representation. If the former, binary assumptions leave any number of people out... until, say, an agender person runs for office and throws the calculations into some necessary disarray!
Unless you're mapping the whole demographic, including small numbers is unfeasible. When you first start working toward accurate representation, it is easier to start with the largest groups first. What you learn from incorporating those in a more balanced way will help you figure out how to add smaller groups without destabilizing the system.
My main science fiction setting has a colony called Common Ground, which is based on common sense, and they do fully representational chaocracy for one house of the government. That is, they crunch the demographics and then randomly select citizens who fit those characteristics to invite into a term of service. People can decline, but are expected to have a good reason for doing so. That house is the main, though not only, source for the elected officials.
They try to have at least one of every identifiable group somewhere in public office, from local to planetary. It mostly works. It also makes them very aware of intersectionality.
Absolutely no clue, it was a short segment in the movie and was not addressed. I would guess biological or self-identification, and as you point out both are full of problems, but that's purely my guess. Too complicated a question to be covered in a short segment assuming Moore had any interest in addressing it.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmith
(no subject)
Date: 2017-11-04 04:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2017-11-04 07:32 pm (UTC)I was so happy to see a U.S. Congressman sworn in on a Koran. We need more. We lost our last Hebrew, so Congress is almost entirely WASPs. I'd also like to see some Buddhists in there. But mostly, I want to see some more WOMEN in there. There's a northern European country, I don't remember which (featured on Which Country To Invade Next) that has a mathematical equation for gender representation in Parliament: as I recall, each gender must be between 45% and 60% represented.
Man, that would get the RNC nickers in a bind!
(no subject)
Date: 2017-11-04 10:23 pm (UTC)Well ...
Date: 2017-11-04 10:29 pm (UTC)My main science fiction setting has a colony called Common Ground, which is based on common sense, and they do fully representational chaocracy for one house of the government. That is, they crunch the demographics and then randomly select citizens who fit those characteristics to invite into a term of service. People can decline, but are expected to have a good reason for doing so. That house is the main, though not only, source for the elected officials.
They try to have at least one of every identifiable group somewhere in public office, from local to planetary. It mostly works. It also makes them very aware of intersectionality.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-11-04 10:47 pm (UTC)Absolutely no clue, it was a short segment in the movie and was not addressed. I would guess biological or self-identification, and as you point out both are full of problems, but that's purely my guess. Too complicated a question to be covered in a short segment assuming Moore had any interest in addressing it.