Imagine what would happen if the public found out that the FAA does a horrible job at making sure checkrides are done thoroughly? That bad/incompetent pilots are being given licenses and ratings? I propose that the another government entity (possibly the NTSB), set up "bait checkrides" at random. Where as far as the examiner knows, the applicant is fresh out of training, for whatever rating, and has all the right paper work and so on. But actually is a pilot and reports back to the NTSB, or whoever, on how the examiner conducted the checkride. If he felt he passed them to easily, wasn't thorough, etc. Also, never tell the examiner, even after all is said and done, when a random check has taken place or who it was, so they don't know who it was and can't go tell they're buddies about it. Just a thought.