If you think this is insane and awesome, you should see what the Venetian's used to pick their leaders.
Sadly, it is way too complex for me to remember off hand and I can't find it anywhere, but when I get a chance I'll dig out John Norwich's History of Venice and tell you about it.
Ah ha! Just showing that everything is on the internet if only you look hard enough. From wikipedia:
New regulations for the elections of the doge introduced in 1268 remained in force until the end of the republic in 1797. Their object was to minimize as far as possible the influence of individual great families, and this was effected by a complex elective machinery. Thirty members of the Great Council, chosen by lot, were reduced by lot to nine; the nine chose forty and the forty were reduced by lot to twelve, who chose twenty-five. The twenty-five were reduced by lot to nine and the nine elected forty-five. Then the forty-five were once more reduced by lot to eleven, and the eleven finally chose the forty-one who actually elected the doge.[1]
Gloriously awesome, but kind of stupid. If the lots were honest, that must be close to equivalent to randomly selecting the last eleven, and if they weren't, why bother?
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Sadly, it is way too complex for me to remember off hand and I can't find it anywhere, but when I get a chance I'll dig out John Norwich's History of Venice and tell you about it.
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New regulations for the elections of the doge introduced in 1268 remained in force until the end of the republic in 1797. Their object was to minimize as far as possible the influence of individual great families, and this was effected by a complex elective machinery. Thirty members of the Great Council, chosen by lot, were reduced by lot to nine; the nine chose forty and the forty were reduced by lot to twelve, who chose twenty-five. The twenty-five were reduced by lot to nine and the nine elected forty-five. Then the forty-five were once more reduced by lot to eleven, and the eleven finally chose the forty-one who actually elected the doge.[1]
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