[m12k]

I like the solution from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Elect some random person as president of the galaxy, but don't tell him about it. Just have conversations with him to find out what he thinks about things, but don't let him know that you actually run the galaxy based on these conversations. If power corrupts, make it impossible to seek power, and don't let the person that wields it know that they have it.

[justinclift]

That could go seriously badly if the random person happened to have extreme views. :/

[46756e]

Also it just moves the problem one person down the line.

So the new most powerful position is the person that knows who runs the galaxy and talks to her/him. That person can make up things or sway the ruler.

If you have many people, you now just have an oligarchy.

[bluejekyll]

This is pretty much how the Shogunate in Japan worked.

Once a single war lord controls the “security” of the Emperor, they then wield power and justify all of there actions based on sole access to the Emperor.

[elliekelly]

This reminds me of the “Goldilocks” strategy the DoD supposedly uses when presenting a President with a menu of military options:

1. Very extreme militaristic response that will surely cause many deaths. Clearly unacceptable.

2. Very weak bordering on non-existent response. Clearly unacceptable.

3. What pentagon has already decided to do. Clearly the “only” viable option.

[pram]

This isn’t correct iirc. Zaphod definitely knew he was president. The government didn’t consult him about anything, he was just a distraction.

[m12k]

I wasn't talking about Zaphod. https://hitchhikers.fandom.com/wiki/Ruler_of_the_Universe