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Random selection is necessary to create stable meritocratic institutions

(assemblingamerica.substack.com)
360 points namlem | 2 comments | 14 Jul 25 15:28 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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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.
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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.

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1. int_19h ◴[14 Jul 25 17:22 UTC] No.44562771[source]▶
But you can't evaluate it in a vacuum. It needs to be compared to the current state of affairs, and to other realistic alternatives.

Our political system effectively selects for sociopathic con men. So would you prefer your laws to be written by those people vs a random group?

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2. mprovost ◴[14 Jul 25 17:27 UTC] No.44562832[source]▶
Two relevant quotes from writers who could not be more different:

“I would rather be governed by the first 2,000 people in the Boston telephone directory than by the 2,000 faculty members of Harvard University.” - William F Buckley Jr

“Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.” - Douglas Adams