New Books Network On Democracy and Bullshit with Hélène Landemore
Nov 18, 2025
Hélène Landemore, a Yale political science professor known for her innovative approach to democracy, dives deep into the challenges posed by elite manipulation of language. She critiques electoral representative democracy, emphasizing its oligarchic tendencies and advocates for sortition and citizen assemblies. Landemore discusses powerful examples from Iceland’s constitutional experiment and contemporary movements like France's Yellow Vests, showcasing the potential for citizen-driven governance. She also addresses concerns about competence and the importance of teaching collaborative decision-making.
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Democracy vs. Republican Design
- Modern 'democracies' often inherit 18th-century republican designs that intentionally limit popular power.
- Hélène Landemore argues a true democracy would prioritize demos kratos — people's power — not just electoral republic structures.
Iceland's Open Constitutional Experiment
- Iceland randomly sampled 950 citizens to identify values and then had a 25-person body draft a new constitution publicly.
- The draft was crowd-edited online and later approved in a referendum by two-thirds of voters.
Elections Produce Plutocratic Bias
- Elections systematically produce a plutocratic bias because selection favors wealthier, more connected, and more educated candidates.
- Landemore views lot (random selection) as a remedy to diversify representatives and reduce oligarchic drift.
