3 more points -

You can practice the next class before moving into it (as Joe M is doing), and you might find doing so improves your flying in your current class.

I think most would prefer to be demoted to the next lower class than suck up their pride and voluntarily move down. In essence, it is simply recognition that one's peak skills are not middle of the pack in either class, and a pilot may spend the bulk of their pattern current bouncing between two clases......too good for the lower class, but not quite good enough for the higher class. I think is as much a cultural idea/change as anything else.

In countries that have a large enough number of pilots to support multiple classes, a building block structure to the classes can be put in place, and can be effective at developing trimming skills and flight skills. The goal or system is designed to "build" better pilots and promote competition at all levels. FAI has no such goal or system. The goal of FAI is to pick the very best Team and very best pilot in the world, and as such, the FAI system is desinged to do exactly that, which does not make it particuarly well suited for local contests. For an FAI flyer, the mechanisms to improve are largely placed on the flyer, and the support network to assist them simply does not exist to the extent it does with AMA flyers (in the US).

Regards,