ABSTRACT
With the modern assumption that elections are the very essence of democracy, each specific electoral problem engenders a reform proposal (or menu of reforms) intended to remedy it. Elections themselves, however, are never questioned. Before considering a radical concept such as sortition, it is prudent to first examine whether the failings of American democracy can be fixed using any of these commonly proposed solutions. In this chapter, I will discuss several of the most widely recognized specific problems with the American election process, present some corresponding reforms that have been proposed, and examine their likely efficacy (or lack thereof). While many reforms certainly have some merit, we will see how they all fall woefully short of fulfilling the democratic vision.
