In the book "Starship Troopers," Robert A. Heinlein postulated a society which required that a person volunteer for Federal Service in order to gain the right to vote.

While I do not necessarily strongly advocate this system (neither did Heinlein--he said it was fictional), it has a lot to recommend it, and we could probably do a lot worse. Maybe we already are.

The concept has been often misunderstood and misrepresented (sometimes deliberately--the movie "Starship Troopers" all but tattooed a swastika on Heinlein's forehead). So, some clarification.

To become a "citizen," able to vote and run for office, one must serve at least a minimum 2-year term in Federal Service. This covers a broad area of duties, only some of which are military. Others include work similar to the WPA. The first opportunity to enlist comes at age 18, and is completely voluntary. There is no conscription of any kind. At the same time, no one can legally prevent anyone from enlisting, and the Service has to take you, regardless of physical condition, (unless one is mentally disabled or a convicted felon) and find useful work for you to do. At the time the book's protagonist, Johnny Rico enlists, the world is at peace, and the Service is having difficulty placing all the enlistees in suitable jobs (unfortunately, this soon changes. Unfortunately for Johnny, but fortunately for the reader, who doesn't really want to read a book about someone building service roads on Mars.)

The vote is granted upon the enlistee's retirement from service. He is not permitted the franchise while on active duty. Ironically, this means many "career" servicemen never get a vote.

The rationale for this system is explained in great detail in the book, usually through the medium of classes in History and Philosophy that Johnny is taking. Chapter 12 is particularly useful here. The basic key is demanding responsibility from a citizen equivalent to his authority.

this site is a useful reference discussing the misperceptions of the "Starship Troopers" society in much more detail.

I go to these lengths to keep from having to bat back the inevitable posts on the lines of "but what about..." followed by a complete misunderstanding of the concept.

The book "Starship Troopers" is excellent, and a "must read." If you have seen the movie, and not read the book, you have committed a crime against Man, Nature, and God simultaneously, and should get the book right now.