I've read Starship Troopers only a couple of times, which I think is enough for any normal person, and enough that a little slack wouldn't be out of line if I have to stipulate that every paragraph begins "As I recall,..."

It's an interesting model, and one that might at least prove workable.

As a consequence of the policy that the FS has to take everybody, it had to find a place for everybody. Washouts from the military side could look forward to an unpleasant posting on the civil side; but getting drummed out completely took an extraordinary screwup. It also offered educational benefits in the spirit of the GI Bill. The education benefits would be a more practical incentive than the vote, I'd say, and a lot of people would pass through the FS exerting as little effort as possible, and get the vote as a side-effect.

Seeing as how I'm in favor of universal democracy, I don't have that much of a problem with the FS being as easy to graduate from as any modern-day high school [sad irony]. Loose standards would tend to screen out the most extreme slackers, so maybe it isn't all bad. It's the proposals for systems with unreasonably narrow qualifications that get my dander up.

--Robert