Democracy for Busy People with Kevin Elliott

Rules of the Game – discussing democratic institutions

With Kevin Elliott I discuss how democracy could be built for busy people based on his new book Democracy for Busy People, published in 2023 by the University of Chicago Press. I had a fascinating conversation with Kevin Elliott about his inspiration for writing the book, in which he takes the viewpoint of busy individuals who scarcely have the time to delve into lengthy parliamentary debates, participate in citizens' assemblies, or cast votes on numerous initiatives and referendums. Essentially, the question is how we can simplify democracy and reduce its demands, while simultaneously enhancing its democratic nature.

Kevin J. Elliott is a Lecturer in Ethics, Politics, and Economics at Yale University. His primary research areas lie in political theory, with a special focus on the ethics of democratic citizenship and the design of political institutions. His scholarly contributions have been featured in numerous prestigious publications such as the American Journal of Political Science, The Journal of Politics, Perspectives on Politics, Political Theory and many others. He earned his PhD from Columbia University in 2015, a Master's degree in Political Theory from the London School of Economics, and a BA from UCLA with the highest honors.

⁠Find a full transcript and links to all material discussed in the show notes⁠.⁠

Schedule: 00:00 Introduction / 04:30 Personal questions / 08:00 Main discussion / 46:24 Deliberative Institutions / 01:00:06 Recommendations by Kevin Elliott.

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Many thanks to Ana Margarida Santos who co-produced this episode.

Please enjoy this conversation with Kevin Elliott.