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What If Your President Was Chosen by Lottery?
A TED-Ed lesson on 'sortition' — how ancient Athens filled most government jobs randomly, by lottery, instead of by election. Learn how the system worked and why Athenians thought it was more democratic than voting.
How it works
- Press play to start the video.
- Videos 5 minutes or longer pause once or twice for a quick check. Get it right and you're on your way. If not, you'll see a friendly explanation and the video simply keeps going. Short videos skip the checks.
- At the end there's a 3-question test. Score 60% or more to complete the lesson, and 80% or more to master it. You can always watch again and try for a higher score.