Democratic Reason

Politics, Collective Intelligence, and the Rule of the Many

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Government, Democracy, Politics, History & Theory
Cover of the book Democratic Reason by Hélène Landemore, Princeton University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Hélène Landemore ISBN: 9781400845538
Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication: December 23, 2012
Imprint: Princeton University Press Language: English
Author: Hélène Landemore
ISBN: 9781400845538
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication: December 23, 2012
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Language: English

Individual decision making can often be wrong due to misinformation, impulses, or biases. Collective decision making, on the other hand, can be surprisingly accurate. In Democratic Reason, Hélène Landemore demonstrates that the very factors behind the superiority of collective decision making add up to a strong case for democracy. She shows that the processes and procedures of democratic decision making form a cognitive system that ensures that decisions taken by the many are more likely to be right than decisions taken by the few. Democracy as a form of government is therefore valuable not only because it is legitimate and just, but also because it is smart.

Landemore considers how the argument plays out with respect to two main mechanisms of democratic politics: inclusive deliberation and majority rule. In deliberative settings, the truth-tracking properties of deliberation are enhanced more by inclusiveness than by individual competence. Landemore explores this idea in the contexts of representative democracy and the selection of representatives. She also discusses several models for the "wisdom of crowds" channeled by majority rule, examining the trade-offs between inclusiveness and individual competence in voting. When inclusive deliberation and majority rule are combined, they beat less inclusive methods, in which one person or a small group decide. Democratic Reason thus establishes the superiority of democracy as a way of making decisions for the common good.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Individual decision making can often be wrong due to misinformation, impulses, or biases. Collective decision making, on the other hand, can be surprisingly accurate. In Democratic Reason, Hélène Landemore demonstrates that the very factors behind the superiority of collective decision making add up to a strong case for democracy. She shows that the processes and procedures of democratic decision making form a cognitive system that ensures that decisions taken by the many are more likely to be right than decisions taken by the few. Democracy as a form of government is therefore valuable not only because it is legitimate and just, but also because it is smart.

Landemore considers how the argument plays out with respect to two main mechanisms of democratic politics: inclusive deliberation and majority rule. In deliberative settings, the truth-tracking properties of deliberation are enhanced more by inclusiveness than by individual competence. Landemore explores this idea in the contexts of representative democracy and the selection of representatives. She also discusses several models for the "wisdom of crowds" channeled by majority rule, examining the trade-offs between inclusiveness and individual competence in voting. When inclusive deliberation and majority rule are combined, they beat less inclusive methods, in which one person or a small group decide. Democratic Reason thus establishes the superiority of democracy as a way of making decisions for the common good.

More books from Princeton University Press

Cover of the book It's About Time by Hélène Landemore
Cover of the book The Collected Works of Spinoza, Volume I by Hélène Landemore
Cover of the book Where the River Flows by Hélène Landemore
Cover of the book The Planet Remade by Hélène Landemore
Cover of the book Weyl Group Multiple Dirichlet Series by Hélène Landemore
Cover of the book Technology Differences over Space and Time by Hélène Landemore
Cover of the book Monetary Policy, Inflation, and the Business Cycle by Hélène Landemore
Cover of the book The Presidency of George W. Bush by Hélène Landemore
Cover of the book The Enchantment of Modern Life by Hélène Landemore
Cover of the book Guilty of Indigence by Hélène Landemore
Cover of the book War and Human Nature by Hélène Landemore
Cover of the book The Lives of Animals by Hélène Landemore
Cover of the book The Brooklyn Nobody Knows by Hélène Landemore
Cover of the book The Birds of New Jersey by Hélène Landemore
Cover of the book Philanthropy in America by Hélène Landemore
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy