epistocracy en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˌɛpɪˈstɑkɹəsi/ (US)
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἐπιστήμη (epistḗmē, “knowledge”) + suffix -κρατία (-kratía), from κράτος (krátos, “power, rule”).
Meanings
-
(uncountable) A rule by citizens with political knowledge, or a proposed political system which concentrates political power in citizens according to their knowledge.
So maybe it’s time to consider an alternative to democracy called epistocracy. In a democracy, every citizen gets an equal right to vote. In an epistocracy, voting power is widespread, but votes are weighted: More knowledgeable citizens’ votes count more.
2016, “Can Epistocracy, or knowledge-based voting, fix the problems with democracy?”, in Los Angeles Times:
- (countable) A government run by citizens with political knowledge.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| epistocracies | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| epistemocracy | alternative | lexicographic |