demarchy

Etymology

From demo- + -archy.

Why this word is great

DEMARCHY — [Noun] Government by decision-makers randomly selected by sortition from a pool of eligible citizens. From Greek dēmos ("people") + -archy ("rule"), modeled after democracy but emphasizing random selection rather than election. Unlike "democracy" (which rewards rhetoric and fundraising) or "technocracy" (which defers to credentialed elites), demarchy trusts the wisdom—or at least the mediocrity—of the undistinguished many. It is the juror’s summons arriving unannounced, the bricklayer handed a minister’s briefcase, the din of a hundred ordinary voices debating policy in a room never designed for grandeur. A system built not on the illusion of exceptional leaders, but on the quiet faith that no one is worse at ruling than those who desperately want to.

noun

Government by decision-makers who have been randomly selected by sortition (lot) from a pool of eligible citizens.“In his recent book Is Democracy Possible? (1985) John Burnheim advocates a system that he calls ‘demarchy’, with striking resemblances to classical democracy. […] This is more significant for demarchies administering manufacturing processes, but would affect them all to some extent.”