The Lottocracy Summary

In the article “The Lottocracy,” the author Alexander Guerrero makes some bold assessments toward the current system of electing representatives. Alexander Guerrero reflects on the general attitude people have toward voting, analyzes why people vote the way they do and how the system is flawed. It is easy to fall into a state of thinking that one vote does not make a difference when one considers that there is little difference between the candidates. Ethos, pathos, and logos are present throughout the article to persuade and convince the audience of how flawed the current system. Guerrero appeals to his reader’s sense of logic by using examples of statistical analysis that outlines the demographics of those who are currently serving in elected

positions and utilizes amplification to convey his opinion on how voting doesn't change the outcomes of elections.
Guerrero grabs the attention of the audience through his title, which blends the words of lottery and democracy. Also included on the first page is an image of politicians in the House of Representatives giving applause. The image gives the first person perspective which gives the reader the impression that they are walking into the chamber to be inaugurated into office. This is powerful to the author’s message, because Guerrero wants to convey the message that the reader that they could be in this position. The author also makes the claim on the first page about the current method of electing officials it unsalvageable and brings forth the idea of implementing a lottery type system to select representatives.

Guerrero then provides examples of pathos to support his claims and to invoke feelings of inadequacy. Guerrero emphasizes how people fall into a state of complacency because of the feeling that the actions we take today will not affect the future. The examples Guerrero uses illustrates the decisions made by the general public on a day to day bases are part of a large and anonymous system that is having the string pulled by political elites. The introduction makes the point that the majority of people want to tackle the issues that plague society to make the nation a better place for all, but the general consensus of people is that public good takes a backseat to self interest in Washington.
The essay then transitions to ethos by the use of the Russell Brand interview to establish credibility on how people feel about voting through a mainstream source. The comments made by Brand in the interview are easy for Guerrero’s readers to identify with.