←back to thread

Random selection is necessary to create stable meritocratic institutions

(assemblingamerica.substack.com)
360 points namlem | 1 comments | 14 Jul 25 15:28 UTC | HN request time: 0.241s | source
Show context
retrac ◴[14 Jul 25 16:28 UTC] No.44562032[source]▶
The technical term is sortition. And it is my pet unorthodox political position. The legislature should be replaced with an assembly of citizens picked by lottery.
replies(22): >>44562101 #>>44562171 #>>44562282 #>>44562381 #>>44562409 #>>44562535 #>>44562693 #>>44562879 #>>44562889 #>>44562956 #>>44562965 #>>44563058 #>>44563183 #>>44563590 #>>44564320 #>>44564823 #>>44565767 #>>44566093 #>>44572194 #>>44572213 #>>44572628 #>>44573260 #
gameman144 ◴[14 Jul 25 16:33 UTC] No.44562101[source]▶
This may show that I'm biased, but the idea of a randomized group of citizens making the law of the land scares the heck out of me. There is a non-trivial amount of nuance and compromise that goes in lawmaking.

Now, the idea of electing a few thousand representatives and having sortition determine who is actually selected is something I could feasibly get behind.

replies(14): >>44562205 #>>44562207 #>>44562350 #>>44562367 #>>44562501 #>>44562713 #>>44562716 #>>44562771 #>>44563329 #>>44563537 #>>44564233 #>>44564610 #>>44569821 #>>44571062 #
connicpu ◴[14 Jul 25 16:42 UTC] No.44562207[source]▶
Regardless of how the average person may feel about it on a surface level, I think it's absolutely critical that congress has so many lawyers elected. These people write laws, we need people who actually understand the way law works doing that job.
replies(7): >>44562312 #>>44562546 #>>44562788 #>>44562864 #>>44562985 #>>44562992 #>>44563322 #
1. f1shy ◴[14 Jul 25 16:51 UTC] No.44562312[source]▶
That is good for the form, OTOH the content (objet of the law, which is almost more important, one can argue) is more often that not, not related to the field where lawyers are experts (from sociology to engineering, through economics and medicine) that is typically handled by expert’s consultants, comities, etc.

So bottom line, I’m not so sure is so important that representatives are laywers. Maybe a good mix should be ok?