A Technocratic Senate

Cannibal Ox

I was thinking about the senate this morning. I don't particularly like the idea of having the Dail as the only legislative body, but at the same time, I don't think the Senate is an effective body to oversee the Dail either as it is now, and christ knows we could do with a bit of oversight of the Dail. So I was thinking about the Senate and how it operates, and I thought about the concept of technocracy:

Wikipedia wrote:

Technocracy is a form of government in which engineers, scientists, health professionals and other technical experts are in control of decision making in their respective fields.

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the term technocracy denotes a system of government where those who have knowledge, expertise or skills compose the governing body. In a technocracy decision makers would be selected based upon how highly knowledgeable they are, rather than how much political capital they hold.

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In all cases technical and leadership skills are selected through bureaucratic processes on the basis of specialized knowledge and performance, rather than democratic elections. Some forms of technocracy are a form of meritocracy, a system where the "most qualified" and those who decide the validity of qualifications are the same people. Other forms have been described as not being an oligarchic human group of controllers, but rather an administration by science without the influence of special interest groups.

So, the idea I was thinking about, was that the Senate would be composed of technical experts in the various areas that make up Irish society. I don't think it would be restricted to economic experts either, I think it would be a far more interesting forum if you included religious leaders, disability sector, environmental sector, gender, etc, etc. I think you'd have to have them democratically elected, and properly elected, as opposed to the election process for the senate as it is now.

I think the powers of the senate, in regards to oversight, would need to be strengthened, but maybe not to such an extent that the Dail would effectively compose legislation and then have to get it through the Senate. I'm not sure about how this could work, maybe a look at the US senate or the EU legislative process might be good. Maybe legislation could be passed to the Senate, and then passed back to the Dail with recommendations, but I think that'd increase the amount of bureacracy.

I didn't get to much further then that to be honest But I thought it was an interesting idea, and I was wondering what people thought. It was vaguely inspired by having seen people here complain that we don't have experts in the Dail, and arguments about removing the senate altogether.

goose2005

But we already have that, at least in theory, with the Industrial/Administrative/Agriculture etc. panels electing 43 Senators. I don't really see what's wrong with a unicameral system.

Seloth

As well as this the state employs many many advisors from these fields.I know variouse departments higher PhD graduates from certain fields for just such a thing.

Denerick

Technocracy has forever been associated with the eastern bloc - ie, tiny elites pontificating to industry on what needs to be produced. China is quite technocratic as it is a centrally planned economy for the most part (They dictate where their banks should lend and their currency is deliberately distorted)

So long as the Senate became a kind of consultative chamber - wherein 'experts' comment on legislation, it might be useful. But then again it will just be a talking shop, much like it is now.

Personally I think the Senate should be converted into a theatre, with each new Oireachtas bill debated through the medium of modern dance.

deise go deo

Denerick wrote: »

Personally I think the Senate should be converted into a theatre, with each new Oireachtas bill debated through the medium of modern dance.

It would certainly make Ivor Calleys defence more intresting to watch on the news:D