19. On Selecting Officials:Officials selected through the imperial examination system are in no way inferior to those chosen through elections.

As long as humanity requires government, it must confront the question of how to select its administrative personnel. We can categorize these personnel into two types: officials and clerks. Officials serve as the heads of governments at various levels. Clerks are subordinate to these heads, responsible for handling specific administrative tasks. This article primarily addresses the issue of how to select officials. Throughout human history, two widely recognized methods of selecting officials have emerged: China's imperial examination system and the Western electoral system. With the demise of the monarchy in China, the imperial examination system was consigned to the dustbin of history. However, a rational comparison between the imperial examination system and the electoral system reveals that officials selected through the former were by no means inferior to those chosen through the latter. In many respects, the imperial examination system even better met the requirements of democracy.

The imperial examination system selected officials through a testing process. Citizens aspiring to public office could register for the statutory examinations. Those who passed qualified to become government officials and could assume their posts through the prescribed procedures. The advantages of this system included: 1. All citizens were eligible to take the examinations, ensuring equal opportunities for political participation. 2. All candidates faced identical examination questions, guaranteeing fair competition among participants. 3. Individuals with low intelligence or weak abilities generally failed the examinations, ensuring the system selected truly capable talent. The system's drawbacks were: Examination proficiency did not necessarily equate to practical administrative ability; those who passed the examinations were not always genuinely outstanding individuals.

The electoral system selects officials through competitive campaigns. Individuals aspiring to public office may run as candidates, with voters ultimately deciding who is elected. The advantages of this system include: 1. Citizens have the right to vote for elected officials, embodying the democratic principle that the people are the masters of the state; 2. Candidates' campaign activities serve as a showcase of their abilities, allowing citizens to assess whether they possess the necessary administrative skills. 3. Theoretically, anyone can become a candidate, ensuring everyone has an opportunity to participate in politics. The disadvantages of this system are: 1. It cannot guarantee equal opportunities for all citizens to participate in politics. Although theoretically anyone can be a candidate, in practice candidates are always controlled by political parties. 2. A candidate's performance during the campaign does not necessarily reflect their actual ability to govern.

Through the above analysis, it is evident that the imperial examination system is clearly superior to the electoral system. However, in terms of embodying the spirit of democracy, the electoral system is absolutely incomparable to the imperial examination system. Therefore, democratic nations must have an electoral system. Consequently, the electoral system should complement the imperial examination system; this is the official selection system that best meets democratic requirements. The complementary approach involves the imperial examination system handling the selection of lower-level officials, while the electoral system handles the selection of higher-level officials.

Using China's four-tier administrative structure—county, city, province, and nation—as a case study, we explore how the imperial examination system and electoral system can be integrated to select county magistrates, mayors, governors, and presidents.

Every citizen possesses equal opportunity to hold public office. Aspiring officials must first pass the nationally administered imperial examination. Successful candidates thereby qualify for the position of county magistrate. After gaining county magistrate eligibility, candidates must undergo a competency training program organized by the central government. This training is purely educational and does not include assessments.

Upon completing the training, the state assigns reserve county magistrates to vacant counties as probationary magistrates in a specific order (determined by two factors: those who obtained eligibility earlier are prioritized, and among those who obtained eligibility in the same batch, those with higher scores are prioritized). Probationary magistrates report to and receive guidance from the incumbent county magistrate. The internship period lasts one year. Upon completion, the incumbent county magistrate evaluates and grades the intern, with ratings of either "Unqualified" or "Qualified." Interns rated "Unqualified" may sue the incumbent magistrate in court to overturn the evaluation and request reinstatement if they can prove unfair treatment or intentional downgrading. If the court ultimately overturns the unsatisfactory evaluation, the trainee may be reassigned for the internship. If the evaluation is not overturned, the trainee loses eligibility. Trainee county magistrates rated as satisfactory qualify to serve as county magistrates. Should a vacancy arise in any county, they automatically fill the position in order of priority (determined by two factors: priority given to those who received a satisfactory evaluation earlier; among those with the same evaluation date, priority given to those with a higher evaluation score).

After assuming the county magistrate position, if voted out of office, the individual must resign and is barred from holding public office again. The performance evaluation of county magistrates is conducted through a vote by all eligible voters in the county. Voting results fall into three categories: Unqualified, Qualified, or Excellent. Those voted as Unqualified must resign and are barred from holding public office. Those voted as Qualified may continue serving as county magistrates. Those voted as Excellent qualify for the position of mayor.

County magistrates qualified for mayor may continue serving as magistrates if no mayoral vacancy exists, but they may receive mayoral benefits in advance. Upon any mayoral vacancy, they automatically fill the position in sequence (determined by two factors: priority given to those qualifying earlier, and higher approval ratings among those qualifying on the same day).

Upon assuming the mayor position, if voted out of office, the mayor must resign and becomes ineligible for further public office. The mayor's performance evaluation is conducted through a vote by all eligible voters in the city. Voting results fall into three categories: Unqualified, Qualified, or Excellent. Mayors rated Unqualified must resign and become ineligible for further public office. Mayors rated Qualified may continue serving as mayor. Mayors rated Excellent become eligible to run for governor.

Should a provincial governor position become vacant, the top 10 mayors eligible for gubernatorial candidacy may run for governor. If any candidate withdraws, the next eligible candidate beyond the 10th position shall replace them. The gubernatorial election consists of a primary and a final round. Election expenses are covered by the national treasury, with each candidate receiving equal funding; fundraising is prohibited. The primary election selects two candidates from the ten to advance to the final election. The victor in the final election assumes the governorship. Governors serve a seven-year term and cannot be re-elected in the same province. Each mayor eligible for governorship has five opportunities to run for governor.

If a governor is voted out of office, they must resign and are barred from holding public office again. The governor's performance is evaluated through a vote by the province's constituents. Voting results fall into three categories: Unqualified, Qualified, and Excellent. A governor rated as unsatisfactory must resign and is barred from holding public office. A governor rated as satisfactory may choose to run for governor in another province upon completing their term. A governor rated as excellent may choose to run for governor in another province upon completing their term and also qualifies as a presidential candidate.

Presidential candidates must be governors rated as excellent. The top six governors who first qualify for presidential candidacy are eligible to run. The presidential election consists of primary and final rounds. Election funds are provided by the national treasury, with each candidate receiving an equal amount; fundraising is prohibited. The primary round selects two candidates from the six to advance to the final round. The victor of the election assumes the presidency. The presidential term is seven years, with no re-election permitted.

The rationale behind this arrangement is that after passing the imperial examinations, individuals can automatically advance to positions such as county magistrate or mayor according to the system. Once someone qualifies for a county magistrate or mayor position, they can be automatically appointed to fill vacancies, minimizing human interference. However, for the selection of provincial governors and the president, an electoral system is used to determine the final candidates.

Once the head of government is confirmed at any level, that individual possesses full authority to form the cabinet. All appointments and dismissals of administrative personnel at that level are solely determined by the head of government. For instance, a county magistrate has the authority to appoint or dismiss heads of departments like the Education Bureau or Public Security Bureau, as well as ordinary government staff, according to their own judgment. Although government heads possess full authority over appointments and dismissals, the individuals they appoint must have passed the national civil service examination and possess the qualifications to serve as government officials. Precisely because government heads hold such comprehensive authority over appointments and dismissals, they bear full responsibility for all actions taken by their respective governments.

The approach of combining the imperial examination system with the electoral system to select officials preserves the strengths of both while avoiding their respective weaknesses. This integration is truly a perfect match, achieving an ideal balance.