The Values of Democratic Proceduralism

A standard justification of democratic voting is that it is a fair procedure, providing for the equal treatment of voters. Democratic theorist David Estlund challenges the adequacy of that justification: flipping a coin between alternatives is also a fair procedure, but no one would propose substituting random draw for voting. Estlund provides several arguments that fair proceduralism is an untenable view, and this article counters those arguments. He concludes that what distinguishes democratic voting from random choice is its better epistemic value in approximating a standard of justice independent of the procedure. The author replies that a less controversial distinction between voting and coin flip is that voting tends to select what is thought best by the most people.