The Next Big Idea Daily What If We Fired All the Politicians?
Feb 26, 2026
Hélène Landemore, Yale political theorist who proposes citizen rule, and Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota senator and author reflecting on public service. They discuss replacing elections with citizens' assemblies, random selection and rapid public learning. They also talk about making politics more inclusive, healing civic divides, personal costs of political life, and finding joy in public service.
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Randomly Selected Citizens Outperform Politicians
- Citizens' assemblies use random selection (lot) to create bodies mirroring public diversity and overcome electoral bias.
- The OECD documents ~800 deliberative bodies, and assemblies often outperform politicians in quality and public acceptance.
Deliberation Rapidly Builds Competence
- Participants in citizens' assemblies learn quickly, moving from "I know nothing" to drafting balanced proposals after expert testimony and deliberation.
- Landemore notes assemblies draft nuanced solutions because members aren't locked into party incentives.
Make Politics A Jolly Hostess
- Reframing politics as a "jolly hostess" invites the shy and disempowered to speak, making democracy intentionally welcoming.
- Landemore connects this metaphor to French assemblies where diverse participants feel more seen and valued.
