Should we replace politicians with randomly selected people?

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Michael Vazquez |

TED-Ed

• March 2026

Elections are tools that ensure a nation’s citizens all have an equal political voice. But these so-called “great equalizers” are often plagued by corruption, partisan divides, and uninformed voters. Which is why some of democracy’s first and most famous practitioners used a different approach: sortition. Michael Vazquez explores how this system could address modern democracy's biggest problems. [Directed by Avi Ofer, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Cem Misirlioglu, Mia Theodoratus, WORKPLAYWORK].