Sleepykid

Trial by Jury

“Representative government and trial by jury are the heart and lungs of liberty. Without them we have no other fortification against being ridden like horses, fleeced like sheep, worked like cattle, and fed and clothed like swine and hounds.”

—John Adams, 1774

I completely agree on the importance of trial by jury. But I have reservations on the first point. It may be that representative government is not the bulwark against “being ridden” that Mr. Adams thinks it is. Yes, chances are, representative government is better than a monarchy (or totalitarian system) with regard to “being ridden,” at least for the majority. But, as phrased here, the implication is that we only have a choice between the two, and that there is no third option. In fact, many societies functioned in a quite healthy and just manner without representative government (e.g. New England participatory democracies, certain Native American groups, etc.).