Open AccessDodging the silver bullet
Author(s) -
M.R.J. Klaassen
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
the maastricht journal of liberal arts
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2542-7741
pISSN - 2542-7733
DOI - 10.26481/mjla.2019.v11.690
Subject(s) - populism , democracy , argument (complex analysis) , lottery , political science , political economy , dilemma , politics , law and economics , law , sociology , economics , epistemology , philosophy , microeconomics , chemistry , biochemistry
I propose a new political system – sortition – to curtail populism and its negative effects of (a) exclusion, (b) alienation, and (c) tyranny. For this undertaking, it will be argued that populism is leadingto (a), (b), and (c). The argument shows that populism has a charged relationship with electoral democracies. On one hand democratic values cause populism and on the other hand they disallowbanning it. To solve this dilemma, this paper introduces the system of sortition or lottery democracy. The conclusion of this inquiry is that lottery democracy is a viable alternative to electoral democracyas it is highly democratic, while at the same time nullifying populism and its harmful effects.