Saving Democracy

Saving Democracypresents a bold yet practical plan for reinventing American democracy for the twenty-first century. The book diagnoses contemporary political ills as symptoms of corruption in our large republic and develops a new understanding of representative democracy. Building on the ideas of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson,Saving Democracyshows how it is possible to combine the traditional town hall and the Internet to fashion a new theory of representative government that empowers citizens and bridges the enormous gap that now exists between the political elite and the average voter. Under the author's plan, in each of the nation's 435 congressional districts a local assembly of 100 citizens, selected by lot, would meet to discuss the major domestic and international issues. The role of this assembly would be deliberative and advisory and its views would constitute a second, more sophisticated and informed measure of public opinion than traditional public opinion polls. The next step would be the establishment of the People's House, which would hold actual legislative power.

Kevin O’Leary is national correspondent for Campaigns & Elections. He has been a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, contributor to The American Prospect, editor of OC Metro Magazine and editorial page editor of the Pasadena Star-News.  He earned his Ph.D. at Yale University and is a political scientist at the Center for the Study of Democracy at UC Irvine.