Innovations? I'd say we've been going backwards for centuries John. I reckon the ancient Greeks may have had the right idea at first but got carried away by wanting to select the kind of people you could pick from (by disenfranchising criminals, slaves, poor people with no property, and all those other undesirable elements of society like women). Party politics were introduced so that one bunch of conflicting self-interests could outnumber and out-vote the other bunch of conflicting self-interests and things haven't changed much.

I say that everybody of mature and responsible age (so ok, let's settle for if you're old enough to serve in the forces and can tell right from wrong) then you should be able to vote, and you should be able to be voted for - without some money driven machine to push you. How much is George Dubbya spending this time around? How much does it cost the UK or Oz to mount the election campaigns just to get more of the same old same old. Spend the money where it needs spending, on fighting poverty and hunger - supporting social welfare at home and abroad, as well as security, health and education. Big business spends enough on advertising products. Don't let's spend the public purse on advertising politicians.