Useful Advice from Classical Athens

The Athenians 500 to 400 BCE recognised that the way they did democracy had both limits and risks. In particular, they had come to realise that “expressive voting” – where there is only one vote held on a proposition – could and, sometimes, did result in the ‘wrong’ outcome. So they concluded that every vote should be held twice to enable the first result to be reviewed in the cooler light of day as hitherto unanticipated implications revealed themselves and that this would most likely produce better and more correct decisions (for example, Plato’s despair over the Athenians’ decision to kill his mentor Socrates)  How very relevant for recent referendums like Brexit (“I didn’t think my vote would count and so voted NO”) and for every other vote we can think of.  This conclusion strengthens WfaAR’s opinion that any non-binding votes on the Republic should be held at least twice, 12 months apart, to more accurately gauge voters’ views disassociated from an immediate, emotional response. We note women couldn’t vote in Athens.