[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:07.32,0:00:09.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Hey, congratulations!
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.00,0:00:10.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You've just won the lottery,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:10.87,0:00:14.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,only the prize isn't cash\Nor a luxury cruise.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:14.37,0:00:18.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's a position in your country's\Nnational legislature.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.23,0:00:20.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And you aren't the only lucky winner.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:20.45,0:00:24.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,All of your fellow law makers\Nwere chosen in the same way.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:24.55,0:00:27.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This might strike you as a strange\Nway to run a government,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:27.67,0:00:29.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,let alone a democracy.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:29.72,0:00:32.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Elections are the epitome \Nof democracy, right?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.96,0:00:37.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, the ancient Athenians\Nwho coined the word had another view.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:37.49,0:00:42.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In fact, elections only played\Na small role in Athenian democracy,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:42.27,0:00:49.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with most offices filled by random lottery\Nfrom a pool of citizen volunteers.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.56,0:00:52.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Unlike the representative \Ndemocracies common today,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:52.68,0:00:57.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where voters elect leaders to make laws\Nand decisions on their behalf,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:57.27,0:01:00.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,5th Century BC Athens was \Na direct democracy
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.90,0:01:02.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that encouraged wide participation\N
Dialogue: 0,0:01:02.96,0:01:07.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,through the principle of ho boulomenos,\Nor anyone who wishes.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:07.97,0:01:12.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This meant that any of its approximately\N30,000 eligible citizens
Dialogue: 0,0:01:12.02,0:01:14.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,could attend the ecclesia,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.26,0:01:17.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a general assembly meeting\Nseveral times a month.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.90,0:01:22.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In principle, any of the 6,000 or so\Nwho showed up at each session
Dialogue: 0,0:01:22.55,0:01:25.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,had the right to address \Ntheir fellow citizens,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:25.09,0:01:26.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,propose a law,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:26.34,0:01:28.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or bring a public lawsuit.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:28.74,0:01:32.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Of course, a crowd of 6,000 people\Ntrying to speak at the same time
Dialogue: 0,0:01:36.40,0:01:43.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,would not have made \Nfor effective government.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the Athenian system also relied on\Na 500 member governing council
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,called the Boule,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to set the agenda\Nand evaluate proposals,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in addition to hundreds of jurors\Nand majestates to handle legal matters.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Rather than being elected or appointed,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the people in these positions\Nwere chosen by lot.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This process of randomized selection\Nis know as sortition.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The only positions filled by elections\N
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,were those recognized \Nas requiring expertise,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,such as generals.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But these were considered aristocratic,\Nmeaning rule by the best,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as opposed to democracies,\Nrule by the many.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How did this system come to be?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, democracy arose in Athens after long\Nperiods of social and political tensions
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,marked by conflict among nobels.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Powers once restricted to elites,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,such as speaking in the assembly\Nand having their votes counted,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,were expanded to ordinary citizens.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the ability of ordinary citizens\Nto perform these tasks
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,adequately became a central feature\Nof the democratice ideology of Athens.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Rather than a priviledge,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,civic participation \Nwas the duty of all citizens,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with sortition and strict term limits\Npreventing governing classes
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or political parties from forming.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,By 21st Century standards,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Athenian rule by the many\Nexcluded an awful lot of people.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Women, slaves and foreigners\Nwere denied full citizenship,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and when we filter out \Nthose too youn to serve,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the pool of eligible Athenians drops\Nto only 10-20% of the overall population.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some ancient philosophers, \Nincluding Plato,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,disparaged this form of democracy\Nas being anarchic and run by fools.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But today the word \Nhas such positive associations,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that vastly different regimes \Nclaim to embody it.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At the same time, some share Plato's\Nskepticism about the wisdom of crowds.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Many modern democracies \Nreconcile this conflict
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by having citizens elect \Nthose they consider qualified
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to legislate on their behalf.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But this poses its own problems,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,including the influence of wealth,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the emergence \Nof professional politicians
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with different interests \Nthan their constituents.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Could reviving election by lottery\Nlead to more effective government
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,through a more diverse and representative\Ngroup of legislatures?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Or does modern political office,\Nlike Athenian military command,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,require specialized knowledge and skills?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You probably shouldn't hold your breath
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to win a spot \Nin your country's government.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But depending on where you live,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you may still be selected \Nto participate in a jury,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a citizens' assembly,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or a deliberative poll,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all examples of how the democratic\Nprinciple behind sortition
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,still survives today.