In politics, sortition (also known as allotment or the drawing of lots) is the selection of decision makers by lottery. The decision-makers are chosen as a random sample from a larger pool of candidates. In ancient Athenian democracy, sortition was the primary method for appointing officials, and its use was widely regarded as a principal characte... Found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sortition
election by lot, a method of choosing public officials in some ancient Greek city-states. It was used especially in the Athenian democracy, from ... Found on http://www.britannica.com/eb/a-z/s/128
Sor·ti'tion noun [ Latin sortitio , from sortiri to draw or cast lots, from sors , sortis , a lot.] Selection or appointment by lot. [ Obsolete] Bp. Hall. Found on http://www.encyclo.co.uk/webster/S/148