I think the Kickstarter idea is interesting as a way to try to identify large-enough areas where a voting bloc might exist—and might make a more credible commitment than just a petition from people saying they’ll vote based on something, which people might sign several of just because they support the cause. Otherwise, as people have said, this is something that pretty much exists already in various forms.
I think the fundamental problem with all the things you mention (transhumanism, homeopathy, FAI etc) is that the number of people per constituency who actually care about these enough to vote based on them would be miniscule. If this sort of thing was going to work, it would be on something with wider and more visceral appeal.
You also have to get things on the agenda—and realistically on the agenda—as well as get votes. The Government of the day sets the vast majority of what’s debated, and deals with budgets etc. I therefore think this works better for things that are already being debated, and where the decision can be made somewhat independently from the broader government programme (e.g. the Eurosceptic one you mentioned). Otherwise there’s little reason to think that the MP will get a chance to vote for your policy. You mention private membes Bills, but
(i) they may not get one
(ii) they’re certainly not likely to get many, so you’re asking them to give up a chance to promote their real priorities and/or build credibility with some other group. This is really unlikely, and makes defecting more likely: how many of your Kickstarters would really blame them if they raised an issue that had just emerged as a big urgent problem?
(iii) they don’t get passed all that often, ESPECIALLY on budgetary-type things: the science spend will already have been allocated to the Research Councils on a fairly long-term basis as part of an overall Spending Review, MPs don’t very often just vote for a slug of money to go to something. You’re talking about getting an exra £1bn out of the Treasury or diverting about a 30th of the already-allocated science budget: I don’t see it happening.
Finally, I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if that Kickstarter commitment to vote certain ways was regarded as breaking a law established to protect the secret ballot and prevent vote-rigging
I think the Kickstarter idea is interesting as a way to try to identify large-enough areas where a voting bloc might exist—and might make a more credible commitment than just a petition from people saying they’ll vote based on something, which people might sign several of just because they support the cause. Otherwise, as people have said, this is something that pretty much exists already in various forms.
I think the fundamental problem with all the things you mention (transhumanism, homeopathy, FAI etc) is that the number of people per constituency who actually care about these enough to vote based on them would be miniscule. If this sort of thing was going to work, it would be on something with wider and more visceral appeal.
You also have to get things on the agenda—and realistically on the agenda—as well as get votes. The Government of the day sets the vast majority of what’s debated, and deals with budgets etc. I therefore think this works better for things that are already being debated, and where the decision can be made somewhat independently from the broader government programme (e.g. the Eurosceptic one you mentioned). Otherwise there’s little reason to think that the MP will get a chance to vote for your policy. You mention private membes Bills, but (i) they may not get one (ii) they’re certainly not likely to get many, so you’re asking them to give up a chance to promote their real priorities and/or build credibility with some other group. This is really unlikely, and makes defecting more likely: how many of your Kickstarters would really blame them if they raised an issue that had just emerged as a big urgent problem? (iii) they don’t get passed all that often, ESPECIALLY on budgetary-type things: the science spend will already have been allocated to the Research Councils on a fairly long-term basis as part of an overall Spending Review, MPs don’t very often just vote for a slug of money to go to something. You’re talking about getting an exra £1bn out of the Treasury or diverting about a 30th of the already-allocated science budget: I don’t see it happening.
Finally, I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if that Kickstarter commitment to vote certain ways was regarded as breaking a law established to protect the secret ballot and prevent vote-rigging