In governance, sortition (also known as allotment or demarchy) is the process of selecting officers as a random sample from a larger pool of candidates.
In ancient Athenian democracy, sortition was the traditional and primary method for appointing political officials and its use was regarded as a principal characteristic of democracy.
Sortition is commonly used to select prospective jurors in common law-based legal systems and is sometimes used today in forming citizen groups with political advisory power (citizens' juries or citizens' assemblies).
The following is a brief history of sortition's implementation, as it applies specifically to governance, and (when specified) the judiciary system.
Athenian democracy developed in the 6th century BC out of what was then called isonomia (equality of law and political rights). Sortition was then the principal way of achieving this fairness. It was utilized to pick most of the magistrates for their governing committees, and for their juries (typically of 501 people). Aristotle relates equality and democracy:
Time
Roachford
VWHAT MAKES A SEED
INTO A FLOWER GROW, TIME
WHAT MAKES A RIVER
JOIN THE OCEAN'S FLOW, TIME
AND HOW WILL WE KNOW
WHAT WE REAP IS WHAT WE SOW, TIME
WHEN WILL WE FULFIL
A DREAM OF TOMORROW, TIME
EVERYTHING TAKES TIME
JUST HAVE FAITH IN TIME
WHAT MAKES US GROW
TO HAVE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING, TIME
AND HOW WILL WE LEARN
TO GIVE AS MUCH AS WE ARE DEMANDING, TIME
EVERYTHING TAKES TIME
JUST HAVE FAITH IN TIME
WON'T YOU PUT SOME TRUST IN TIME
EVERYTHING TAKES TIME
THE ONLY WAY THE FEELING IS GOOD ENOUGH
IS WHEN WE TAKE A LITTLE TIME
THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN GET HIGH ENOUGH
IS WHEN WE TAKE A LITTLE TIME
TIME BETTER BELIEVE IT, TIME
THE ONLY WAY
THE FEELING IS GOOD ENOUGH
IS WHEN WE TAKE A LITTLE TIME
THE ONLY WAY WE CAN GET HIGH ENOUGH
IS WHEN WE TAKE A LITTLE TIME
AIN'T NO NEED TO WORRY
JUST TAKE IT SLOW SO BABY WHY THE HURRY LOVE JUST WON'T GO
AIN'T NO NEED TO WORRY
JUST TAKE IT SLOWLY
NO NEED TO CRY
LOVE JUST WON'T GO
From: Matias Martin