Sortition Over Election

Elections select for people who want power. This is often the wrong filter.

The campaign system requires money. Money requires donors. Donors require favors. Before a representative casts their first vote, they are owned.

Sortition: Selection by lottery, like jury duty.

Athens used sortition for 200 years. It worked. The reasoning:

• Random citizens represent the actual population
• No campaigns means no donors
• No career politicians because it’s one term
• No parties because there’s no election to organize around

Implementation:

Citizens are selected randomly from the eligible population. You serve one term:

• House: 4 years
• Senate: 8 years

Then you go home. You live under the laws you passed.

When you receive the letter, you serve. Like jury duty, but for legislation.

Most people won’t want to be selected. That’s the point. The reluctant citizen-legislator beats the ambitious career politician every time.