Isnt mandatory duty in the Boule an onerous imposition?
Yes, to a degree it is. But the general benefit far outweighs the individual inconvenience. It is important that the Boule is a good cross-section of the People so that everyone’s views are included. When a Citizen is randomly selected to serve as a Member of the Boule, that Member represents about 406,000 Citizens who have similar views. If that Member refuses to serve, a replacement will represent a different 406,000 views; the views of the original 406,000 Citizens will not be represented. This can be mitigated to some degree by finding a replacement who is like the original in sex, age, income etc. But the replacement will never be as good a representation of the 406,000 Citizens as the original. For example, if doctors or engineers were excused from serving, who would represent their views and the contributions they will make in the deliberative process? When the U.S. has to enter a war, Citizens are often conscripted and serve under far more onerous circumstance, risking and some
