We propose an analysis of two proposals for direct citizen participation in the public sphere, an ancient and a modern one. The first experience examined lies in the judiciary, in what many consider one of the earliest antecedents of our jury. The second focuses on the so-called elective democracy, ie on how citizens deliberate and act when voting. Both proposals have in common the participation of citizens in political action and they are not limited to a theoretical thought, but rather seek to establish ways of action to universalize the condition of citizen.