A lottery is a form of random selection, and can be used to select winners for a variety of things. Often, the proceeds from these lotteries are used for public services that require large amounts of money but can’t be covered by regular taxes. Examples include subsidized housing units, kindergarten placements, and sports scholarships. While lotteries have been criticized for encouraging addictive gambling habits, they are also often seen as a way to help struggling families and communities.

The theme of the lottery in Shirley Jackson’s story demonstrates the ability for evil to arise in small, seemingly peaceful places. It serves as a critique of the blind adherence to tradition and ritual without regard for their underlying relevance, as well as the tendency to accept violence in the name of social conformity and order.

Similarly, the villagers’ reaction to the stoning of their chosen victim suggests that they have stopped thinking as individuals and have become entirely subsumed in the process of their participation in the lottery. The joy with which they gather stones to kill their man reflects the extent to which they have come to see this as an inalienable part of their lives.

In this respect, the lottery story illustrates a basic problem of democracy. Because policies evolve piecemeal and incrementally, they rarely take into account the broad effects of their implementation. As a result, the evolution of state lotteries is often at cross-purposes with the overall needs of the general population.