That leads me to. . .

* Reputation Systems

A reputation system is a form of soft "social currency." Helpful
individuals (those with high "helpful" marks) are called out and those
with low-value are de-emphasized. New users would be able to recognize
individuals that the community has determined to be high-value. This
helps to encourage trust, which promotes community health and vibrancy.

I have a lot of other things I've been looking at but I think this is a
sufficient launch point for now.

Pretty clear problem I can see wi' this - users can be controversial, yet useful. If you want article writing help, or an example to follow in writing content, Malleus Fatuorum (on en-wiki) is a great one. That doesn't mean he's a popular one. I fear this could lead to the idea that being popular is more important than being competent.