American democracy, argues political theorist Helene Landemore, is built to sideline the quiet. In a New York Times opinion piece, the Yale scholar argues that elections favor the loud, confident, and hyper-visible—what we might call alpha personalities—while marginalizing "the shy." But she doesn't mean the latter in the traditional sense referring to social introverts. Instead, it refers to "all the people who have internalized the idea that they lack power, that politics is not built for them, and who could never imagine running for office," she writes. Women, young people, and minorities tend to be overrepresented in that camp.
Landemore's alternative: citizen assemblies, essentially political juries made up of randomly selected residents who study an issue, hear from experts, and deliberate before offering recommendations. She details how such assemblies in Ireland, France, Belgium, and parts of the US have helped crack gridlock, reduce polarization, and draw out unlikely leaders, with quiet participants often becoming the most thoughtful contributors. "If we actually want a democracy that reflects the thoughts of the country as a whole and delivers for everyone, we need to stop designing institutions around the 'natural leaders,'" she concludes. The shy also have contributions to make. "Our politics, like a jolly hostess, should make room for—and bring out—all of them." Read the full piece.
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