the government would write a book
This may be enough reason to dismiss the proposal. If something like that may exist, it would be better if someone who has at least some chance of being impartial in the election designs the test.
And how exactly do you plan you keep political biases out of the test? According to your point 2, the voters would be questioned about their opinion in a debate about several policy issues. This doesn't look like a good idea.
The correlation between literacy and wealth seems a little problem compared to the probability of abuse which the system has.
And why do you call it a meritocracy?
"And how exactly do you plan you keep political biases out of the test?"
I wouldn't. I said that the book would be authored by the candidates, each one covering each issue from his own POV.
"And why do you call it a meritocracy?"
Because greater weight is given to those who understand whom they're voting for and why. And can read. And care enough to read.
We've had these for a year, I'm sure we all know what to do by now.
This thread is for the discussion of Less Wrong topics that have not appeared in recent posts. If a discussion gets unwieldy, celebrate by turning it into a top-level post.