Economics is Political
By Mahita Das —
The present democratic system is becoming too rigid, outdated, and unfit for the needs of today’s world. Democracy was created so that leaders would represent the people, yet over time it has often become a system where power and privilege take priority over public interest. Instead of being the voice of the people, leaders are frequently placed on a pedestal, while the opinions of ordinary citizens receive less attention.
One way to address these problems is through sortition—the random selection of citizens to participate in governance. In ancient Athens, sortition was considered more democratic than elections because every eligible citizen had an equal chance to take part in public decision-making. A modern example is Ireland’s Citizens’ Assembly, where randomly selected citizens played a significant role in discussions that eventually contributed to ending the country’s abortion ban. These examples show that ordinary people, when given responsibility and proper information, can make thoughtful decisions on important national issues.
The greatest strength of sortition is that it gives everyone an equal opportunity to be represented. It brings together people from different regions, age groups, professions, beliefs, ethnicities, and social backgrounds so that a wider range of opinions is heard. Unlike elections, which often favour those with money, influence, or political connections, sortition focuses on representation rather than popularity.
A practical way to introduce sortition would be through forums led by a committee of thirty members. These members should be individuals who have consistently demonstrated leadership, public service, and active engagement with their communities over several years. The committee itself should represent different regions, professions, age groups, beliefs, and cultural backgrounds. The committee could conduct three rounds of selection. The first round would randomly select citizens from different regions and communities while ensuring statistical diversity so that the country’s population is fairly represented. The second round would include people with expertise in areas such as finance, education, healthcare, law, and science, ensuring that important decisions are supported by knowledge and experience. The third round would consist of temporary panels dedicated to long-term national issues that remain unresolved. Once those problems are addressed, the panel would be dissolved and re-formed whenever another major issue requires attention.
However, no system is perfect. Sortition may slow down decision-making because it involves wider participation and careful selection. It would also require a major shift in public thinking, especially in countries where electoral democracy has existed for generations. Awareness programmes and civic education would be necessary to help people understand and accept such a system. Another challenge is ensuring that the right people are selected. Since many individuals make impressive promises but fail to fulfil them, the selection process must be fair, transparent, and based on clear statistical criteria so that people can trust the system.
Sortition is not a replacement for democracy but a way to improve it. By combining equal opportunity, diverse representation, and informed decision-making, it can help build a system that truly reflects the voices of its people while addressing many of the weaknesses found in traditional electoral politics.
Works Cited
The Constitution Unit, University College London. What is Sortition?
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/explainers/what-sortition
Citizens' Assembly (Ireland). Official Website. https://www.citizensassembly.ie
Encyclopaedia Britannica. Sortition. https://www.britannica.com/topic/sortition
Sortition: Strengthening Democracy Through Representation