What if everything we thought we knew about democracy was wrong?
⊙ Open Access — free for everyone, published by Routledge
Praise for Democracy Without Politicians:
“I've known and worked with Terry for decades, and his new book is a thought-provoking and deeply-researched take on how democracy might be reformed to genuinely allow government by the people.”
-- Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator and former presidential candidate
-- Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator and former presidential candidate
"The likes of Jefferson, Madison, and Adams feared that an oligarchy of wealth, rather than of virtue and talent, might come to rule through elections. In this important new book, Bouricius meticulously explains why elections have failed to achieve democratic rule, or even the bare minimum of holding politicians to account. By reviving the ancient democratic tool of sortition—citizen juries—he shows us how to bypass the bought-and-paid-for political class and finally realize the promise of a government 'by the People."
-- Thom Hartmann, author and nationally syndicated radio show host
-- Thom Hartmann, author and nationally syndicated radio show host
"I live in a small Vermont town where we govern ourselves--pretty darned well--by annual town meeting, where everyone participates. So I think we should take seriously the idea that governing doesn't require a special caste of life-long officeholders, and that all of us are actually up to the task."
-- Bill McKibben, author and environmental activist
-- Bill McKibben, author and environmental activist
"This book pulls together decades of research and critique on random selection as a replacement for elections in democracy. Bouricius argues that the failure of elections is inevitable owing to the very nature of individuals and societies, then explains why choosing representatives through a sortition system can overcome these problems and deliver on the promise of democracy as the best means of governing ourselves."
-- John Gastil, author of Legislature by Lot and political science professor
-- John Gastil, author of Legislature by Lot and political science professor
About the Author
Terry Bouricius is a political theorist and self-described “recovering politician.” First elected to the Burlington, Vermont City Council in 1981 — the same election that sent Bernie Sanders to the mayor's office — he served a decade on the Council before spending another decade as a member of the Vermont House of Representatives, where he helped found the Vermont Progressive Party, the only third party in the U.S. with major-party status.
After leaving politics in 2001, Bouricius spent years as an election reform policy analyst, focusing on ranked-choice voting at FairVote. A 2004 encounter with British Columbia's landmark Citizens' Assembly — everyday people deliberating with a dignity he never witnessed among politicians — changed his thinking permanently. He has been a leading international voice for sortition ever since, publishing widely in academic journals and co-founding the organization Democracy R&D. His ideas on multi-body sortition have been adopted by several real-world citizens’ assemblies in Europe.
After leaving politics in 2001, Bouricius spent years as an election reform policy analyst, focusing on ranked-choice voting at FairVote. A 2004 encounter with British Columbia's landmark Citizens' Assembly — everyday people deliberating with a dignity he never witnessed among politicians — changed his thinking permanently. He has been a leading international voice for sortition ever since, publishing widely in academic journals and co-founding the organization Democracy R&D. His ideas on multi-body sortition have been adopted by several real-world citizens’ assemblies in Europe.
For more info about Terry, including upcoming public appearances, please visit terrybouricius.com.
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