[krapp]

Literally no one would ever seek public office for any reason, at any level, if it meant losing everything they own and any ability to own property or gain income apart from a presumably meager stipend for the rest of their lives (so definitely no young politicians with fresh ideas) and then lose their retirement if (I assume, given the tone of this premise) they get so much as a parking ticket.

I know Americans hate politicians but we treat mass murderers better than that. We definitely treat billionaires who are far more corrupt and have far more power than most politicians better than that. Why not go full Thomas Jefferson as well and just hang all the politicians every 20 years?

[nybble41]

No one with a profit motive would be interested, which is the whole idea. You'd get idealists and people seeking to make a name for themselves instead. (I'm not saying this is a perfect system BTW. I even called it a "crazy suggestion".)

> I know Americans hate politicians but we treat mass murderers better than that.

The point is not to punish politicians but rather to ensure that there can be no conflicts of interest, or at least none rooted in a quest for material gain.

> if (I assume, given the tone of this premise) they get so much as a parking ticket.

"Malfeasance" goes a bit beyond parking tickets. What I had in mind was more along the lines of bribery or corruption, not simple mistakes.

[solveit]

It's a terrible idea to give all the power to idealists (even granting this is possible). Corrupt cynics can be bargained with. The damage idealists can do is unbounded.

[nybble41]

Hey, my answer is actually to eliminate the position and put no one in power. I don't trust all idealists myself, though I'm not convinced corruption is better. But the OP was pinning for the rose-tinted days of yore when great politicians ran for office to do good and not to make money, so I suggested a scheme designed to encourage exactly that.