What if our biggest problem in politics is not voters, but how leaders are chosen? In this video, I explore a forgotten idea that once helped societies select capable, trusted leaders without rewarding ambition, money, or ruthless self-promotion.

Modern democracy claims to be bottom up, yet real power often flows through wealth, party machines, and professional campaigning. We end up with popularity contests rather than merit. But this was not always inevitable. From America’s founding debates to medieval Venice, we find practical systems designed to elevate integrity, judgement, and public spirit while limiting corruption and factionalism.

I look at how bottom up meritocracy worked in practice, from the Founding Fathers idea of the Electoral College, and the Venetian Republic to a contemporary citizens’ assembly in South Australia, and why random selection paired with peer judgement can outperform elections alone. The question is not whether democracy should change, but whether we can improve how we choose leaders in politics, public institutions, and beyond.

▶ Enjoy the next episode on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ or Spotify next week

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