Hacker News Reader

Not joking, although maybe not terribly serious either. I could envision a random (filtered) selection of citizens being given a veto power over legislation, as another check against abuse.

View on HN

Not quite the same thing, but in Ireland, it's become more common for Citizens Assemblies, which are randomly selected (this is disputed by some) citizens appointed to help word referenda on constitutional amendments and otherwise gauge public feeling on certain issues.

The assembly then passes it's recommendation to the Parliament who are free to ignore it if they don't like it.

We could start by something like a randomly appointed commission to investigate, say, very expensive public projects.

I like this idea, much better suited to a "jury duty" style approach.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com