Interesting thought. The system is basically the same as when you needed a few weeks or months and rode to D.C. in a horse and buggy to be a "representative" of (what was back then) a relatively sparsely populated community. I think it may still be that way because you can hijack the process much more easily if there are fewer people to deal with. Now, some may think that the "representatives" use their time to analyze legislation before voting - which always brings to mind that clip from Michael Moore's movie (forget which one) where the guy says "We don't read all the legislation." Well, the citizens can "not read" all the legislation and vote too. Plus, by coming up with a more democratic (little "D") system, we can save all that health-care and benefits money they get.
The founding fathers tried to address that shortcoming of democracy by saying only white male landowners can vote. While I don't agree with exactly that solution, I agree with the idea that not everyone should get a vote. What has happened is that democracy has been perverted by the liberals by doing what they always do- win emotional social arguments. By getting enough people to believe that everyone has a right to vote and labeling all who oppose as white racists they have demagogued the issue. Liberals do this because they think it will tilt power in their favor. Illegal immigrant with no education and can barely speak english? Why they should get their say of course, and if you oppose their voting you are racist. Have a requirement for passing a knowledge test? Again you are racist. The one I am in favor of: voting only if you actually pay net taxes, is a nonstarter because that eliminates the democrats power base and I'm quite sure it would get labeled as racist. The demos love to play into 'let's take down the conservative whitey' when it comes to getting voters, but when it comes to implementing reasonable policy it seems conservatives are not so stupid after all. Missile defense, taxes, and Gitmo were all violently opposed by the left, but when the reality chips are down and one wipes away the tears, it seems like they are decent ideas that the 'party of ideas' quietly bought. As long as liberals keep winning the emotional social hot buttons over reasonable policy, we will keep spiraling down. Medicare and medicaid will sink us deeper than any war ever did. How many times have I heard someone who is old, very sick etc. cry out "how can you put a price on my life?" when they make claim to millions of dollars of health care on the public dime, and the liberals cheer them on. Reality of course is that there is a price on everyone's life since we live in a world of finite resources. It always has been that way and will be for a long time, Canadians have to ration constantly. Yet if you try and point that out, you are labeled one mean spirited SOB and the crowd of boos drowns you out. All those folks who think the gov't is an infinite money pig that owes them something rush to the polls an vote liberal. Since it is a conservative idea to rein in entitlements, it will be trashed by demos in public but they will be forced to quietly accept it later. Democracy at its finest.. Oh and try and touch farm subsidies, good luck. The inventors of democracy saw this and didn't think democracy was the best or ideal form of government. They thought that a benevolent monarchy type was best, the problem is those are too rare. Here's an interesting point of view: http://vcscompphil.blogspot.com/2005/11/democracy-oligarchy-tyranny-and.html