Posted May 16th, 2012 by jpritikin
Another way of institutionalizing direct democracy is to convene a general legislative body by random selection. This is the approach advocated for by Citizens for Direct U.S. Initiatives. The main disadvantage of this approach is that fewer people would be involved in the legislative process per unit time. Perhaps the most important benefit of NCID is not the anticipated improvement in law but in the development and distribution of lawmaking experience. Hirsch thoroughly discussed this benefit of NCID is his 2002 Hastings article.
Also see Mansbridge, J. (1999). On the idea that participation makes better citizens. In Elkin, S. L. & Sołtan, K. E. (Eds.), Citizen competence and democratic institutions (pp. 291-325). Penn State Press.