There’s a long tradition in political science of using voter rationality to test the health of our democracy. But could this myopia be misguided? Are there any situations where irrational and uninformed voters could actually generate a healthier democracy?
That’s exactly what University of Chicago political scientist Ethan BdM examines in his paper “Is Vote ... Show More
Nov 14
Do Donors Punish Extremist Primary Nominees?
<p>What happens when a political party nominates a candidate in its primary who is ideologically extreme? Do donors, especially those outside the party’s base, react — and if so, how? That question is explored in a new paper by Andy Christopher Wayne Myers, Ph.D. Candidate in Pol ... Show More
59m 29s
Oct 30
The Economic Cost of Populism
<p>More than 25 percent of countries around the world are currently governed by populists, from Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey, to Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, and Donald Trump in the United States. Based on these findings, populism is at an all-time high, and taking a significan ... Show More
1h 16m
Feb 2024
Lisa Herzog, "Citizen Knowledge: Markets, Experts, and the Infrastructure of Democracy" (Oxford UP, 2023)
For better or worse, democracy and epistemology are intertwined. For one thing, politics is partly a matter of gathering, assessing, and applying information. And this can be done responsibly or incompetently. At least since Plato, a leading critique of democracy has focused on t ... Show More
1h 7m
Jan 2024
Is the world losing faith in democracy?
2024 will be the world’s biggest election year ever. From the United States to the UK, Taiwan to India, South Africa to Mexico, it’s estimated countries representing nearly half the world’s population will head to the polls in some form of election this year. But how much faith d ... Show More
48m 57s
Jan 2024
#53 Jason Brennan - The Case Against Democracy
<p>Jason Brennan is an American philosopher and business professo at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.</p> <p>Brennan writes about democratic theory, the ethics of voting, competence and power, freedom, and the moral foundations of commercial society. (Wi ... Show More
57m 46s