My Contribution to the Inquiry Symposium on Jason Brennan's Book "Against Democracy"
The article is now available on SSRN.
Political Ignorance
The Growth of the "Cultic Milieu" and the Spread of Harmful Ideas
Historian Stephen Davies provides a good explanation of why fringe "cultic milieu" ideas are growing in influence. It's a troubling development, but not one that should lead us to categorically abjure non-mainstream political ideas.
Why We Shouldn't Treat Survivors and Victims as Authorities on Policy Issues
The dispute over Harvard's decision to rescind the admission of Parkland shooting survivor/gun rights activist Kyle Kashuv should remind us of the reasons why we should not have given any special status to his views in the first place. The same goes for most others in similar situations.
Perils of "Democratic Socialism"
The seemingly new version of socialism advocated by many on the left today has all too many flaws in common with old kind.
The Rights and Wrongs of Electoral Interference
Russia's interference in the 2016 election was wrong. But the reasons why are harder to pin down than you might think. Not all foreign interference in elections is unjustified. Far from it, in fact.
Why Moral Progress Is Not Inevitable
Political theorist Jacob Levy reminds us that the arc of history doesn't always bend towards justice. Moral retrogression has happened before, and could well occur again.
The Perils of Zero-Sum Worldviews on the Left and Right
The awful ideology of the perpetrator of the recent terrorist attack in New Zealand is one of many examples of how far-right nationalists and far-left socialists have more in common than we often think. Both worldviews rest on the dangerous assumption that the we are locked in a zero-sum game in which some groups can only succeed and prosper at the expense of others.
Reforming Democracy
A new symposium outlines several ideas for improving our democratic system. All are worth considering. But none are likely to be as good as expanding opportunities for people to "vote with their feet."
The Most Politically Intolerant Americans Tend To Be Urban, Highly Educated Whites, Survey Shows
An Atlantic article makes the case that some very privileged people don't want to hear from the other side.
Democracy in Decline?
If its recent record is any indication, Winston Churchill might have been wrong about democracy.
Why the Demand for Fake News is a Far More Serious Problem than the Supply
Canadian columnist Andrew Coyne explains why efforts to combat fake news by cutting off supply are barking up the wrong tree.
Survey Shows Most Extreme Opponents of GMO Foods Know the Least—Yet Think They Know the Most
The result is consistent with lots of other evidence of widespread ignorance and bias influencing public opinion on political and scientific issues.
Introduction to my book "Democracy and Political Ignorance: Why Smaller Government is Smarter" Now Available on SSRN
The Introduction to the revised second edition summarizes the rest of the book, and is available for free.
Should We Let Children Vote? The Troubling Implications of Standard Reasons for Rejecting a Flawed Idea
Few will agree with Cambridge political scientist David Runciman's proposal to lower the voting age to 6. But standard reasons for rejecting the idea raise serious questions about many adult voters, too.
Political Ignorance and George H.W. Bush's Defeat in the 1992 Election
Bush lost because voters punished him for the recession of the early 1990s - an event he did not cause. This is just one example of a broader phenomenon of voters rewarding and punishing politicians for things they do not control.
Why a New Brexit Referendum Would Not be a "Betrayal" of Democracy [updated with response to Ryan Bourne]
If referenda are a legitimate mechanism for making political decisions, then it is also legitimate for them to be overruled by new referenda. Those who live by the referendum sword risk dying by it.
Libertarian Critiques of Democracy Can't be Refuted by Showing that it's Better than Dictatorship
Democracy is clearly superior to despotism. But libertarians are still right to worry about voter ignorance and advocate tighter constraints on government power.
Why Voting Based on Values Can't Overcome the Problem of Political Ignorance
Values are important. But so is factual knowledge about public policy. In some ways, the significance of values actually makes the problem of voter ignorance more pressing, not less so.
Political Ignorance and the Midterm Elections
It is not yet clear who will win. But widespread political ignorance already ensures many of us will be losers.
Why We Need Ideology
Niskanen Center President Jerry Taylor argues that we should reject libertarianism and other ideologies in favor of "moderation." But, in truth, we cannot and should not abjure ideology. Trying to do so is likely to increase bias, not curb it.
No, We're Not on the Brink of Civil War. But the Reasons Why We're Not Are Far From Entirely Reassuring.
Contrary to the fears of some pundits, the U.S. is not on the brink of civil war. But the explanation for that is far from entirely reassuring.
Partisan Bias, Motivated Reasoning, and the Debate Over the Kavanaugh Nomination
The debate over the sexual assault accusations against Brett Kavanaugh is a striking example of partisan bias at work.
Jeffrey Rosen on "Madison's Nightmare"
Legal scholar and National Constitution Center President Jeffrey Rosen explains how many of the Constitution's safeguards against "mob rule" have frayed. His description of the problem is compelling, though he is less strong on possible solutions.
Democracy Is Not the Central Value of the Constitution
Efforts on both right and left to make the democracy-promotion the key focus of constitutional law should be rejected.
Political Ignorance and Voting for a Lesser Evil
Canadian columnist Marcus Gee has an excellent article on how political ignorance exacerbates the challenges of voting for a lesser evil. But the problem is in some ways even worse than he suggests. At the same time, there is much we can do to improve the quality of our decisions.
Can We Help Save Democracy by Requiring Voters to Pass a Test of Political Knowledge?
Economist Dambisa Moyo is right to worry about the dangers of political ignorance. But her proposed solution for the problem falls short.
Symposium on Ganesh Sitaraman's "The Crisis of the Middle-Class Constitution"
The BU Law Review Online has a symposium on this important new book, with contributions by Richard Epstein, Dan Markovits, K. Sabeel Rahman , David B. Lyons, and myself.
Bryan Caplan's Case Against Education
A new book raises fundamental questions about the value of education spending.
Why We Shouldn't Give Special Credence to the Political Views of Young People and Victims
Recent events such as the student walkout to promote gun control raise the issue of how much credibility we should give to the political views of the young, and victims of crime. At least as a general rule, there is no reason to give those views any special credence.
Cato Unbound Symposium on "The Captured Economy"
The symposium focuses on Brink Lindsey and Steve Teles' important new book describing how several forms of government regulation slow economic growth, increase inequality, and reduce opportunities for the poor.
Public Ignorance and GMO Foods
Fear of GMO foods is an example of the broader problem of political and scientific ignorance.
Every Vote Does Count—But the Chance it Will Make a Difference is Still Ridiculously Low
A recent Virginia election decided by one vote has given new life to the mantra that "every vote counts." But the chance of a single vote making a difference remains extraordinarily low, and this reality incentivizes voters to be ignorant and biased.
Tax Bill Passes Congress—Are You Dead Yet???
Another day of cartoonish outrage in Washington.
Toll Roads and Political Ignorance
Economics 101 indicates that toll roads can help solve the problem of traffic congestion. But public ignorance often prevents government from acting on this basic insight.
