Fear-mongering populists, distrust in the establishment, personality contests instead of reasoned debate: these are the results of the latest elections. Democracy is in bad health. In his book Against Elections, David Van Reybrouck offers a new diagnosis – and an ancient remedy. In this interview he explains the difference between democracy and elections, why sortition and lottery might offer a way to improve our democracy and why the most important thing is for a population to be informed before making any decision. Read more at https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1112592/against-elections/#8ujeGpPBblyfr387.99

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David Van Reybrouck - Against Elections

Democracy is in bad health. Against Elections offers a new diagnosis – and an ancient remedy.

Fear-mongering populists, distrust in the establishment, personality contests instead of reasoned debate: these are the results of the latest elections.

In fact, as this ingenious book shows, the original purpose of elections was to exclude the people from power by appointing an elite to govern over them.

Yet for most of its 3000-year history, democracy did not involve elections at all: members of the public were appointed to positions in government through a combination of volunteering and lottery.

Based on studies and trials from around the globe, this hugely influential manifesto presents the practical case for a true democracy – one that actually works.

Urgent, heretical and completely convincing, Against Elections leaves only one question to be answered: what are we waiting for?

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