Podcast
Larry Bartels, the Vanderbilt political scientist who wrote “Democracy for Realists” and “Democracy Erodes from the Top,” joins Terms of Engagement to explore the question, is Democracy eroding from the top?
Everyone agrees that democracy is in trouble. But almost everyone disagrees on why. Larry Bartels, the Vanderbilt political scientist who wrote “Democracy for Realists” and “Democracy Erodes from the Top,” has spent two decades arguing that the story we tell ourselves about democracy – that informed voters guide government and policy from the voting booth – is a myth. A corollary of his rejection of the “folk theory” of democracy is that the real threats to democratic institutions come from political elites, not from an angry, radicalized public.
In this episode, we ask Larry about his analysis now, in 2026, when the U.S. has been downgraded to “electoral democracy” (from liberal democracy) by V-Dem, Hungary’s Orbán has just lost power, and right-wing populist parties hold hundreds of new seats across Europe. We talk with Larry about the elite-driven backsliding thesis. And what – if anything – can ordinary citizens do when the people who are supposed to be accountable to us are the ones doing the damage?
Coming soon!
About our Guest:
Larry M. Bartels is University Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Law and May Werthan Shayne Chair of Public Policy and Social Science at Vanderbilt University. His scholarly publications include dozens of influential articles on public opinion, electoral politics, public policy, and democracy, and seven books, including “Unequal Democracy: The Political Economy of the New Gilded Age” (2nd edition); “Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government” (with Christopher H. Achen); and “The Politics of Social Change: From the Sixties to the Present Through the Eyes of a Generation” (with Katherine J. Cramer). He has received a variety of professional awards and honors, including the United States’ highest scientific honor, the National Medal of Science.
Archon Fung is the Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Director of the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. His research explores policies, practices, and institutional designs that deepen the quality of democratic governance with a focus on public participation, deliberation, and transparency. He has authored five books, four edited collections, and over fifty articles appearing in professional journals. He received two S.B.s — in philosophy and physics — and his Ph.D. in political science from MIT.
Stephen Richer is the former elected Maricopa County Recorder, responsible for voter registration, early voting administration, and public recordings in Maricopa County, Arizona, the fourth largest county in the United States. Prior to being an elected official, Stephen worked at several public policy think tanks and as a business transactions attorney. Stephen received his J.D. and M.A. from The University of Chicago and his B.A. from Tulane University. Stephen has been broadly recognized for his work in elections and American Democracy. In 2021, the Arizona Republic named Stephen “Arizonan of the Year.” In 2022, the Maricopa Bar Association awarded Stephen “Public Law Attorney of the Year.” In 2023, Stephen won “Leader of the Year” from the Arizona Capitol Times. And in 2024, Time Magazine named Stephen a “Defender of Democracy.”
The views expressed on this show are those of the hosts alone and do not necessarily represent the positions of the Ash Center or its affiliates.
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