Single Idea 20093

[catalogued under 24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / d. Representative democracy]

Full Idea

The drawing of lots, the most democratic of all political instruments, lost out in the eighteenth century to elections, a procedure that was not invented as a democratic instrument, but as a means of bringing a new non-hereditary aristocracy to power.

Gist of Idea

In the 18th century democratic lots lost out to elections, that gave us a non-hereditary aristocracy

Source

David van Reybrouck (Against Elections [2013], 3 'democratisation')

Book Reference

Reybrouck,David van: 'Against Elections', ed/tr. Waters,Liz [Bodley Head 2016], p.104


A Reaction

This is the basic thesis of Van Reybrouck's book. He argues for the extensive use of lots ('sortition') for getting people involved in modern democracies. I love the idea that in a good democracy you get an occasional chance to rule.