Relative to other nations, the United States is actually in great shape. The economy has recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most people are enjoying unprecedented prosperity. And it appears that the U.S. is again gaining a share of global gross domestic product as China slips into the economic doom loop of authoritarianism and demographic implosion. Most importantly, the Constitution and the rule of law are intact.

It is reasonable to ask, then, why the New York Times just published a fatuous op-ed by a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist who studies group behavior. He opines that elections are bad for democratic rule. He argues that democratic elections lead to government by narcissists who govern according to self-interest and the pursuit of power. Grant suggests that the U.S. start selecting its political leaders by lottery. Only citizens who pass a civics test would be eligible to be included in the lottery.

My first question: what questions would be on Grant's exam? Which wise men and women would select the questions and grade the answers? Indeed, there are so many deficiencies in Grant’s argument that it is hard to know where to start.

The best place would seem to be the impossibility of passing a Constitutional amendment to change how our members of Congress and our President are elected. The people are not going to cede their right to vote to the randomness of a lottery that would include only Grant's notion of the "best and brightest."

True, the majority of voters are dissatisfied with the two presumptive candidates for president in the 2024 election. Still, the principal reasons why we're left with such poor choices are twofold: First, most voters do not participate in the primary process where the candidates are selected. Almost 80% of eligible voters do not participate in primary elections. And primary voters generally are ideologues who are less willing to compromise. Second, seemingly most voters do not understand a basic principle of democratic governance. Voters need "skin in the game." When almost half of voters pay no federal taxes over their lifetimes, they vote for more and do not worry about the future and who pays for the more.

If Grant and others are dissatisfied with the current system of selecting candidates for public office, then they should organize a national campaign of civic and economic education. Socialize the population to believe that voting in all elections matters and that knowledge of basic economics and civics is critical to good government. That would not be an impossible task. Most people conform to the dominant culture of work and basic human kindness. Add to the dominant culture principles of civic duty and knowledge of basic economic principles.

Winston Churchill’s words remain true today: "Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."

James Rogan is a former U.S. foreign service officer who later worked in finance and law for 30 years. He writes  a daily note  on finance and the economy, politics, sociology, and criminal justice.