In the Wet

Published in 1953, Nevil Shute's In the Wet is set thirty years in the future — in the 1980s, when Britain has been destroyed by socialism, and Australia and Canada are engaged to defend the Queen. The book has intriguing world-building features, including an electoral structure in Australia that allows for multiple votes — i.e., each citizen receives one vote but additional votes can be earned (up to a maximum of seven) depending on whether the individual is a college graduate, has traveled outside the country, has a high income, etc. The intention is to screen for experience and intelligence, however this structure winds up carrying with it problems of its own.