TL;DR
A project calling itself Lottocracy argues that contemporary electoral representative democracy faces serious flaws and promotes selection by lottery—an ancient practice repurposed for modern governance. The site presents a book-length case, outlines perceived problems with elections, and offers a detailed proposal plus responses to likely objections.
What happened
The Lottocracy site presents a sustained critique of modern electoral representative democracy and advances an alternative system that would select political representatives by random lottery (sortition) rather than by popular elections. The authors contend that current democratic institutions struggle with rising inequality, concentrated elite influence, climate deterioration, and deep social divisions, and they suggest these issues are linked to flaws in electoral processes. Rather than abandoning democratic ideals, the project outlines a comprehensive vision for a lottery-based democratic model, accompanied by sections that explain the case for lottocracy, list five core problems with electoral democracy, and address benefits and counterarguments. The site offers a preview of a book that elaborates the proposal and invites readers to explore further materials and purchase the book.
Why it matters
- Positions an alternative to elections as a response to problems the site associates with current representative systems (inequality, elite influence, polarization, climate inaction).
- Challenges widely held assumptions about how political legitimacy and accountability should be produced in modern states.
- Could expand public debate about governance design by reviving and adapting an ancient practice—sortition—for contemporary use.
- Raises questions about how political institutions might be redesigned to reduce elite capture and increase inclusive representation.
Key facts
- The site argues contemporary electoral representative democracy faces deep problems.
- Lottocracy proposes using lotteries, not elections, to select political representatives.
- The project frames this lottery-based approach as an ancient idea adapted for the 21st century.
- The site highlights several societal problems tied to current systems, including inequality, elite control of institutions, climate change, and social division.
- Content on the site includes a book preview, an option to order the book, and sections titled 'The case for lottocracy', 'Five problems with electoral democracy', 'Advantages and objections', and an introduction to lottocracy.
- The site describes its vision as detailed and oriented toward building a different form of democracy rather than expressing despair about the future.
What to watch next
- Whether the project outlines specific institutional designs, implementation steps, or pilot programs (not confirmed in the source).
- Any uptake by political parties, civic organizations, or governments to trial lottery-based selection methods (not confirmed in the source).
- Reception among scholars, policymakers, and the public—how debates over legitimacy and accountability unfold (not confirmed in the source).
Quick glossary
- Lottocracy: A proposed system of governance in which political representatives are selected by random lottery rather than by competitive elections.
- Sortition: The practice of choosing public officials by lot; historically used in some ancient and medieval polities as a method of selection.
- Representative democracy: A political system in which citizens elect individuals to make decisions and enact policies on their behalf.
- Elite capture: A situation in which a small, powerful group influences or controls public institutions and policy to serve its own interests.
- Political polarization: A process in which public opinion divides and moves toward ideological extremes, reducing common ground and cooperation.
Reader FAQ
What is lottocracy?
According to the site, it is a model of democracy that uses lotteries to pick political representatives instead of holding elections.
Why replace elections with lotteries?
The site argues elections contribute to inequality, elite influence over institutions, climate inaction, and social division; lotteries are presented as an alternative to address these problems.
Does the project provide evidence that lottocracy works in practice?
Not confirmed in the source.
Are there objections to lottocracy?
The site includes a section called 'Advantages and objections,' but specific objections and responses are not detailed in the provided excerpt.
Who authored the book and proposal?
Not confirmed in the source.
Democracy is in trouble. The system isn’t working. Inequality increases, many can barely get by, the elite control our political institutions. The earth, our only home, gets warmer year by…
Sources
- Lottocracy: Democracy Without Elections
- Redefining Democracy: Could Lotteries Improve Governance …
- Alexander Guerrero, "Lottocracy: Democracy Without …
- Lottocracy: Democracy Without Elections …
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