Pluralistic: Ostromizing democracy (04 May 2023)

Today’s links Ostromizing democracy: To counter antidemocratic libertarians, we need an analytical assessment of group problem-solving. Hey look at this: Delights to delectate. This day in history: 2013, 2018, 2022 Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading Ostromizing democracy (permalink) You know how “realist” has become a synonym for “asshole?” As in, “I’m not a racist, I’m just a ‘race realist?'” That same “realism” is also used to discredit the idea of democracy itself, among a group of self-styled “libertarian elitists,” who claim that social science proves that democracy doesn’t work – and can’t work. You’ve likely encountered elements of this ideology in the wild. Perhaps you’ve heard about how our cognitive biases make us incapable of deliberating, that “reasoning was not designed to pursue the truth. Reasoning was designed by evolution to help us win arguments.” Or maybe you’ve heard that voters are “rationally ignorant,” choosing not to become informed about politics because their vote doesn’t have enough influence to justify the cognitive expenditure of figuring out how to cast it. There’s the “backfire effect,” the idea that rational argument doesn’t make us change our minds, but rather, drives us to double-down on our own cherished beliefs. As if that wasn’t bad enough, there’s the Asch effect, which says that we will change our minds based on pressure from the majority, even if we know they’re wrong. Finally, there’s the fact that the public Just Doesn’t Understand Economics. When you compare the views of the average…Pluralistic: Ostromizing democracy (04 May 2023)

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