Sortition
Etymology
From the Latin "sortitio," a casting of lots, from "sors, sortis," meaning lot or fate. The practice defined much of classical Athenian democracy, where most magistrates were chosen by lottery; the English term revives the Latin to name the concept in modern reform debates.
noun · /sor-TISH-un/
The selection of officeholders or decision-makers by random lottery rather than by election or appointment.
What it names
A mental tool for imagining democracy without campaigns or careerism — a reminder that the ancients chose leaders by lot, and that elections are only one way to distribute power.
Example
Advocates of citizens’ assemblies argue that sortition produces panels more representative of ordinary people than any election ever could.
Related idea
Contrast meritocracy, which selects for demonstrated ability; sortition deliberately renounces such filtering, trusting randomness to defeat entrenchment and corruption instead.
See also