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Old 02-20-2018, 11:37 AM   #108
jason taylor
 
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
Default Re: Exotic Governmental/Legal Systems

Quote:
Originally Posted by Daigoro View Post
What if the test cities serve no other purpose than to be training grounds for rulers. They're set up as crucibles to generate elite masters in the art of governance.
If the inhabitants are paid to be guinea pigs or aspiring rulers in their plebe stage the population might think it fair play. Arbitrarily choosing a city as a testbed would have to be covered up.

Another problem is there is no way the test can be made fair. An incompetent or tyrant will wreck a city and a really competent guy will ensure that his successor really has to work to fail. The grading commitee needs some kind of way to allow for this.

Also on some theories of thought the hands off approach works best and it certainly does on this or that occasion in any event. Will the fact of being a test prejudice the testee in favor of working harder then a real procurator should? And come to think of it how will the citizens behave if they know it is a test. If for instance the procurator is unpopular they will deliberately riot as often as possible just to sink his score and vice-versa. But popularity is not a total measure of effectiveness and if we assume it to be so it is just a democracy.

In any event it sounds a lot like a Roman Path of Honors.
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Last edited by jason taylor; 02-20-2018 at 11:41 AM.
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