Against Elections: The Case for Democracy

Whenever there are elections, the results are the same: fear-mongering, division and broken promises. Against Elections offers a new diagnosis – and an ancient remedy. `Excellent . . . Why does our system keep electing people whose incomes, assets, interests and psychology are hugely at variance with ours? Because that is what it is designed to do` - George Monbiot, Guardian `Very persuasive . . . invigorating` - Daniel Finkelstein, The Times As this ingenious book shows, the original purpose of elections was not democracy: it was to exclude the people from power by appointing an elite to govern over them. In fact, for most of its 3000-year history, democracy did not involve elections at all: members of the public were appointed to positions in government through a combination of volunteering and lottery. Based on studies and trials from around the globe, this hugely influential manifesto presents the practical case for a true democracy – one that actually works. Urgent, heretical and completely convincing, Against Elections leaves only one question to be answered: what are we waiting for? `Riveting` - Irish Examiner `Persuasive` - Financial Times `A convincing case` - Observer