Is there a better way to choose a president than elections?

What would be a better way to choose a US president instead of an election?

I have a quiz for my friends:

Who is the British Prime Minister?
Who is the German Chancellor?
Who is the President of France?
How about the Japanese Prime Minister?
I have an admittedly well-read, well-traveled circle of friends, and they usually get three out of four right.

Then I ask this one:

Who is the president of Switzerland?
The percentage of friends who get this one right is, so far, zero. Most don't even try. I even have friends from Switzerland who don't know the current President.

This question occurred to me when I realized (a) I have been teaching in Switzerland for over a decade (b) I consider Switzerland to be an exceptionally well-governed country, and (c) I could not name the Swiss President. In fact I don't know any of them from…ever.

My point is that perhaps it's time to reconsider the virtues of a strong presidency. Our Founding Fathers envisioned a nation much closer to the Swiss Confederation than to the Leviathan we have today. I'm not saying they were necessarily right or wrong about that, but I think it may be worth dialing back our search for a savior to lead us to the promised land, and trust that we can truly govern ourselves, without expecting so much from Uncle Sam (or Sugar Daddy, as many would have it).

For the record, the Swiss have an annual rotating presidency from among an executive committee chosen by their Federal Assembly. Not exactly the place for, or the path of, a power-mad narcissist.


Source: QUORA