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Friday 8 February 2019

A Parliament by Lottery @ Radio 4's 'Thought Cages'

Does a system which rewards 'the best' actually give us 'the best'?
Futures Forum: Is 'meritocracy' really all it's made out to be?
Futures Forum: How meritocracy and populism reinforce each other's faults
Futures Forum: Meritocracy vs democracy
Futures Forum: The myth of meritocracy: who really gets what they deserve?

Isn't this just another form of 'aristocracy' - that is (in Greek) 'rule by the best'?
Futures Forum: Elections are for aristocrats

Perhaps we need to bypass 'the best':
Futures Forum: Politicians, wonks and technocrats

And we need to just have some 'respectful discussion':
Futures Forum: The people's voice and expertise > How democracy is about respectful discussion, not just voting

And this could be done the Greek way: 

In ancient Athens, isegoria described the equal right of citizens to participate in public debate in the democratic assembly; parrhesia, the license to say what one pleased, how and when one pleased, and to whom.

Two Concepts of Freedom of Speech - The Atlantic
Isegoria at Athens: When Did It Begin? on JSTOR
An Ancient Greek idea could foil Brexit’s democratic tragedy | Nicholas Gruen | Opinion | The Guardian

We can call it the 'jury system', election by lottery or citizens' assembly:
Futures Forum: Citizens’ Juries could become the core of a revived local democracy
Futures Forum: A Parliament by Lottery
Futures Forum: Brexit: and a citizens' assembly to break the deadlock 

The second part of tonight's episode looking at 'thought cages' considers these alternatives: 

Thought Cages


Advertising guru and writer on human behaviour Rory Sutherland pokes a stick at received wisdom.

A Parliament by Lottery: Could we fix the disconnect between the public and its politicians – by selecting our MPs by lottery?


BBC Radio 4 - Thought Cages, 08/02/2019.
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