ReThinking: Taking politicians out of politics with Hélène Landemore

The discussion centers on replacing elected officials with citizen assemblies chosen by lottery. Hélène Landemore, a political scientist, argues that electoral politics is broken and proposes a system where ordinary citizens legislate, drawing on examples like the Icelandic constitutional process and the French Citizens' Convention for Climate. Landemore emphasizes the importance of trusting ordinary people and incorporating diverse perspectives, including those of marginalized groups. She addresses concerns about competence and accountability by highlighting the role of expert support and the cultivation of collective intelligence. The conversation explores the potential for randomly selected leaders to exhibit less hubris and selfishness, and the challenges of overcoming resistance to this radical idea.