Browsing by Subject "Democratic theory"
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Item Randomness and legitimacy in selecting democratic representatives(2011-12) Parker, Joel Matthew; Muirhead, Russell, 1965-; Levinson, Sanford, 1941-; Braybrooke, David; Gregg, Benjamin; Jacobsohn, Gary J.; Woodruff, PaulThe addition of random selection to our arsenal of methods for selecting political officials would enhance performance against norms of representative democracy. I employ historical and analytic methods to explore the nature of sortition and its relation to political equality, rational decision-making, and legitimate representation. Sortition both expresses a democratic commitment to political equality and facilitates improved performance under this democratic norm. It can be rational to eschew reasons in the process of selecting political officials, and decision-making bodies chosen randomly can be expected to make good decisions. I also address concerns stemming from representative norms, surrounding random selection of officials, arguing that random selection can enhance the resemblance and responsiveness of representatives. Finally, I detail some possibilities for institutional arrangements that would deliver the benefits of sortition while addressing the challenges it presents.