Program in Philosophy, Political Science and Economics (P.P.E.)

 Democratic Theory and Social Choice

While democratic forms of government have enjoyed broad support in much of the world in recent times, democracies are increasingly facing a variety of challenges, including the attractions of competing forms of government (for example, China’s), political polarization, and increasing doubts regarding the efficacy of democracy among the population.  These challenges invite us with immediacy to examine the central questions of democratic theory, including: What is democracy?  Why should we have democracy? How should democracies protect themselves against the dangers of voter ignorance, minority factions (e.g., the influence of the wealthy), and the tyranny of the majority?  In exploring these questions, we will engage with key results from the field of social choice, including Arrow’s Impossibility Theorem and the Condorcet Jury Theorem.  Our focus will be, not on the mathematical details of these theorems, but rather on understanding these theorems’ implications for debates over nature of, and justification for, democratic government.