David Van Reybrouck

"First published under the title Tegen Verkiezingen by De Bezige Bij in 2013"--Colophon.

The Case for Democracy

Against Elections

A small book with great weight and urgency to it, this is both a history of democracy and a clarion call for change. "Without drastic adjustment, this system cannot last much longer," writes Van Reybrouck, regarded today as one of Europe's most astute thinkers. "If you look at the decline in voter turnout and party membership, and at the way politicians are held in contempt, if you look at how difficult it is to form governments, how little they can do and how harshly they are punished for it, if you look at how quickly populism, technocracy and anti-parliamentarianism are rising, if you look at how more and more citizens are longing for participation and how quickly that desire can tip over into frustration, then you realize we are up to our necks." Not so very long ago, the great battles of democracy were fought for the right to vote. Now, Van Reybrouck writes, "it's all about the right to speak, but in essence it's the same battle, the battle for political emancipation and for democratic participation. We must decolonize democracy. We must democratize democracy." As history, Van Reybrouck makes the compelling argument that modern democracy was designed as much to preserve the rights of the powerful and keep the masses in line, as to give the populace a voice. As change-agent, Against Elections makes the argument that there are forms of government, what he terms sortitive or deliberative democracy, that are beginning to be practiced around the world, and can be the remedy we seek. In Iceland, for example, deliberative democracy was used to write the new constitution. A group of people were chosen by lot, educated in the subject at hand, and then were able to decide what was best, arguably, far better than politicians would have. A fascinating, and workable idea has led to a timely book to remind us that our system of government is a flexible instrument, one that the people have the power to change.

Wynter

What use is it to us that we have broken the aristocracy of the nobles, if that is replaced by the aristocracy of the rich? - Jean-Paul Marat

As Canada approaches a very crucial Election Day in October, and the American political race gains much momentum for next year, I find myself reflecting on the democratic process in general. It seems in the world where elections is nothing more than a popularity contest distorted in the funhouse that is commercial media, and where political elite seems to be so very detached from the needs of regular people that our pleas fall on deaf ears, it is no wonder that an average voter becomes apathetic to the whole circus. What is the point? Historically speaking, today we, the people, are at the lowest levels of engagement in governing our own lives. For the first time, the non-voter, the bystander, is now the most important political movement. Something is not right in the democracy as we experience it today.

Van Reybrouck’s ideas are called “heretical “ for a reason. He calls for scrapping the elections as an outdated and, as he proves, counterintuitive practice in favour of sortition - appointment of temporary representatives by lottery from the entire adult population of the country, - akin to the process that enjoyed much success in Ancient Greece. This long-form essay makes a very strong argument, and you don’t need a political science degree to understand it.

Against Elections The Case for Democracy

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