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Can you explain to me how this works, please? If it's just selecting a random person, this seems as though it would be liable to all sorts of problems such as t

by ue_ 9y ago

Can you explain to me how this works, please? If it's just selecting a random person, this seems as though it would be liable to all sorts of problems such as the person not even having to demonstrate to anyone that he is capable of holding such a position. If it's selecting a random person from a smaller group of people, how is it decided who gets to be in the group? You're pushing the problem of professional politician one step back, so the solution has no explanatory power.

duncan_bayne 9y ago
The standard is I think the same as the standard for voting; if you're enfranchised, you would be eligible for selection by sortition. If you're arguing that this may lead to the selection of unqualified representatives, yes, that's certainly a risk. But the very same people are already voting in the current system. They may not become representatives themselves, but they're certainly choosing them. If your society can't safely select their representatives at random from the voting population, you already have a civic problem, regardless of which approach you take.
- kortex 9y ago
  There is a profound amount of stuff in our political system which is necessary to the everyday running of the country, and yet is profoundly boring. There are a huge number of people for which having to participate in reading and debating law is untenable for one or more reasons. Hell, the politicians PAID to do this don't read all the things they are supposed to. Hell, half of Americans can't be bothered to vote. How are they going to contribute to the political process in any meaningful way when harboring that much apathy?
  - TeMPOraL 9y ago
    I think it would be fine to just replace the elected stuff with sortition. I mean, all the administrative staff doing the actual work, the necessary and boring work, are unelected staff anyway.
    - duncan_bayne 9y ago
      Yes, that's the intent. Also worth noting is just how much power the unelected bureaucracy has in a democracy. It's yet another reason to keep the scope of Government strongly constrained.

by ue_ 9y ago

duncan_bayne 9y ago

The standard is I think the same as the standard for voting; if you're enfranchised, you would be eligible for selection by sortition. If you're arguing that this may lead to the selection of unqualified representatives, yes, that's certainly a risk. But the very same people are already voting in the current system. They may not become representatives themselves, but they're certainly choosing them. If your society can't safely select their representatives at random from the voting population, you already have a civic problem, regardless of which approach you take.

kortex 9y ago
There is a profound amount of stuff in our political system which is necessary to the everyday running of the country, and yet is profoundly boring. There are a huge number of people for which having to participate in reading and debating law is untenable for one or more reasons. Hell, the politicians PAID to do this don't read all the things they are supposed to. Hell, half of Americans can't be bothered to vote. How are they going to contribute to the political process in any meaningful way when harboring that much apathy?
- TeMPOraL 9y ago
  I think it would be fine to just replace the elected stuff with sortition. I mean, all the administrative staff doing the actual work, the necessary and boring work, are unelected staff anyway.
  - duncan_bayne 9y ago
    Yes, that's the intent. Also worth noting is just how much power the unelected bureaucracy has in a democracy. It's yet another reason to keep the scope of Government strongly constrained.