A Randomly Selected Chamber: Promises and Challenges
This paper explores the idea of a randomly selected chamber of representatives (RSC) through an appreciation of the promises it offers and the challenges it would face. We identify two main promises: a RSC could offset the aristocratic character of elections, thereby increasing the legitimacy of the...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Westminster Press
2017-04-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Deliberative Democracy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://delibdemjournal.org/article/id/543/ |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849393939095748608 |
|---|---|
| author | Antoine Verret-Hamelin Pierre-Etienne Vandamme |
| author_facet | Antoine Verret-Hamelin Pierre-Etienne Vandamme |
| author_sort | Antoine Verret-Hamelin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper explores the idea of a randomly selected chamber of representatives (RSC) through an appreciation of the promises it offers and the challenges it would face. We identify two main promises: a RSC could offset the aristocratic character of elections, thereby increasing the legitimacy of the political system; and it could increase democracy’s epistemic potential, thanks to gains in terms of diversity, deliberations, humility, and long-term perspective. We then discuss four key challenges. First, participation: how can the chamber have diversity without mandatory participation or heavy sanctions? Second, how can we conceive or build legitimacy for this non-elected and somehow unaccountable chamber’s views? Third, independence: how to safeguard randomly selected people from corruption? Finally, there may be a linguistic challenge: if the RSC has a deliberative role, how should it cope with the possible linguistic diversity of its members? We conclude that these challenges are not insurmountable, but reveal some trade-offs that cannot be entirely dissolved. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4efad5b4b5b04b9687553cc53a488b25 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2634-0488 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2017-04-01 |
| publisher | University of Westminster Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Deliberative Democracy |
| spelling | doaj-art-4efad5b4b5b04b9687553cc53a488b252025-08-20T03:40:14ZengUniversity of Westminster PressJournal of Deliberative Democracy2634-04882017-04-0113110.16997/jdd.271A Randomly Selected Chamber: Promises and ChallengesAntoine Verret-Hamelin0Pierre-Etienne Vandamme1 KU LeuvenThis paper explores the idea of a randomly selected chamber of representatives (RSC) through an appreciation of the promises it offers and the challenges it would face. We identify two main promises: a RSC could offset the aristocratic character of elections, thereby increasing the legitimacy of the political system; and it could increase democracy’s epistemic potential, thanks to gains in terms of diversity, deliberations, humility, and long-term perspective. We then discuss four key challenges. First, participation: how can the chamber have diversity without mandatory participation or heavy sanctions? Second, how can we conceive or build legitimacy for this non-elected and somehow unaccountable chamber’s views? Third, independence: how to safeguard randomly selected people from corruption? Finally, there may be a linguistic challenge: if the RSC has a deliberative role, how should it cope with the possible linguistic diversity of its members? We conclude that these challenges are not insurmountable, but reveal some trade-offs that cannot be entirely dissolved.https://delibdemjournal.org/article/id/543/independencelegitimacyparticipationdeliberationrepresentationsortition |
| spellingShingle | Antoine Verret-Hamelin Pierre-Etienne Vandamme A Randomly Selected Chamber: Promises and Challenges Journal of Deliberative Democracy independence legitimacy participation deliberation representation sortition |
| title | A Randomly Selected Chamber: Promises and Challenges |
| title_full | A Randomly Selected Chamber: Promises and Challenges |
| title_fullStr | A Randomly Selected Chamber: Promises and Challenges |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Randomly Selected Chamber: Promises and Challenges |
| title_short | A Randomly Selected Chamber: Promises and Challenges |
| title_sort | randomly selected chamber promises and challenges |
| topic | independence legitimacy participation deliberation representation sortition |
| url | https://delibdemjournal.org/article/id/543/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT antoineverrethamelin arandomlyselectedchamberpromisesandchallenges AT pierreetiennevandamme arandomlyselectedchamberpromisesandchallenges AT antoineverrethamelin randomlyselectedchamberpromisesandchallenges AT pierreetiennevandamme randomlyselectedchamberpromisesandchallenges |