Our current political systems are in crisis. Across the globe, citizens watch their governments with deepening cynicism, trapped in cycles of polarization, structural corruption, and gridlock that prevent action on urgent problems. As author Kizzi Nkwocha argues, this dysfunction is not accidental; it is the inevitable product of electoral representative democracy working exactly as it was designed to work. Because the competitive logic of elections rewards inflammatory rhetoric, mobilizes donors, and punishes nuance, reform is functionally impossible—the problems we face are features, not bugs.
This book changes politics forever by proposing a radical but simple solution: the complete replacement of elections with sortition, the ancient democratic practice of choosing decision-makers by randomly drawing lots from a pool of eligible citizens.
In The Answer, you will discover how sortition rebuilds our broken politics by:
Eliminating Corruption: By removing the need to fund campaigns or seek re-election, sortition ends the "corruption of dependency," replacing professional politicians with ordinary citizens whose sole loyalty is to the public interest, not major donors or party machines.
Healing Polarization: Citizen assemblies, which mirror the full diversity of the population, are designed to engage in genuine deliberation rather than partisan performance, allowing members to find solutions that balance competing interests more effectively than elected officials.
Restoring Trust and Competence: Drawing on real-world success stories from countries like Ireland, the book demonstrates that citizens, given time and balanced information, consistently become competent decision-makers who produce nuanced, well-reasoned recommendations.
Grounding Authority in Fairness: It replaces a politics of ambition and competition with a moral foundation grounded in equality, diversity, and shared responsibility, making government more responsive to broad public priorities and less susceptible to concentrated interests.
The Answer is a profound call to action and a detailed roadmap for a durable transition, arguing that preserving democracy requires a fundamental shift in how we empower our government. The choice is clear: cling to a broken system or take the necessary step toward a truly just, equitable, and functional future.
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6 Min.