694. Does Democracy Really Need Elections?

About this episode

Stephen Dubner recently served on a criminal jury. Twelve strangers — selected randomly and barely paid — took the job seriously. Afterward, he wondered: why can’t our politics work that way? A growing movement, inspired by Athenian democracy, says it can. • SOURCES:• Terry Bouricius, author and former Vermont state representative. • Dj Hairston, public-defense lawyer. • Kathy Hochul, governor of New York. • Hélène Landemore, professor of political science at Yale University. • RESOURCES:• Democracy Without Politicians: Government by the People, by Terry Bouricius (2026). • Politics Without Politicians: The Case for Citizen Rule, by Hélène Landemore (2026). • The Principles of Representative Government, by Bernard Manin (1997). • EXTRAS:• "Has America Lost the Plot?" by Freakonomics Radio (2026). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.