How each model solves the same problems
Instead of “democracy versus anarchism”, compare the concrete ways collective problems get solved.
| Question | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How are decisions made? | Assembly of male citizens voted on laws and policy; a Council of 500 chosen by lot prepared its agenda; most offices were filled by lot, generals by election.Popular assemblySortition / citizens' assemblyTerm limits and rotation of office | Unknown | A stratified random sample of 523 voters deliberated in moderated groups and plenaries and answered questionnaires before and after; no decisions were taken.Sortition / citizens' assembly | |
| How are conflicts resolved? | Large citizen juries selected by lot judged cases; ostracism could send a prominent citizen away for ten years without trial. | Unknown | Balanced briefing materials, trained neutral moderators and competing experts structured disagreement. | |
| How are public goods funded? | Pay for Assembly, Council and jury service came from public funds; wealthy citizens also financed festivals and warships through liturgies. | Unknown | Privately funded; produced published results, media coverage and a peer-reviewed study. | |
| How is AI used? | No documented AI role. | Unknown | No AI role. | |
| What are the main risks? | Narrow citizen body; swings of opinion and demagoguery in the Assembly; dependence on empire and war; conquest by Macedon. | Unknown | Self-selection into attendance; artificial setting; analysis by the method's designers; no institutional uptake. |
This illustrates differences in design; it is not a universal claim about outcomes. Each cell links to mechanisms and the claims behind them.