Voters pick from a short list of qualified candidates selected at random from voter rolls just like for jury duty, and with the same mandatory rules.

As with jury duty, there would be rules to keep problem types out, or allow a person to beg off for real reasons (not just because he doesn't want to do it.)

While I am opposed to any form of mandatory government service, this idea has always had an appeal for me, and gets around the most basic problem with any election system: those who really want power badly are exactly the kind of people who shouldn't have it.

Really, could we do any worse picking our leaders out of a hat than what we've got now?