Democracy is more than just elections

Democracy is often associated with elections, but that is a narrow view. Democracy goes beyond elections and involves the active participation of everyday citizens. This idea is supported by the historical use of sortition or lottery-based systems of democracy in ancient Athens, where citizens were randomly selected for public functions. These systems are being rediscovered and implemented in various countries, such as Belgium and Ireland, as a complement or alternative to election-based democracy. By involving everyday citizens in decision-making processes, these systems aim to restore faith in democracy and create more representative bodies.