The Framers of the U.S. Constitution designed a government that they hoped would be impervious to tyranny of the majority. What they didn’t spend much time worrying about was the reverse: a tyranny of the minority. The political scientist Steve Teles explains how very small minorities have come to dominate government and what should be done about it.
Further Reading:
“Minoritarianism Is Everywhere,” by Steve Teles
Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point, by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt
“The Great Political Sort Is Happening at the Office,” by Jerusalem Demsas
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54:12
Can We Stop Kids From Watching Porn?
States are cracking down on online porn—but is it working? The researcher Zeve Sanderson explains how age-verification laws backfire, why teens outsmart them, and what that means for the future of internet regulation.
Further reading:
“Do Age-Verification Bills Change Search Behavior? A Pre-Registered Synthetic Control Multiverse,” by David Lang, Zeve Sanderson, et al.
“The Online Porn Free-for-All Is Coming to an End,” by Marc Novicoff
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51:48
Did Busing Turn Kids Into Democrats?
In the summer of 1975, white schoolchildren at some Louisville, Kentucky, public schools were faced with a choice: stay in the school system and undergo busing to integrate the schools, or leave the system entirely. A remarkable new study by the economist Ethan Kaplan shows that for students who stayed, busing had lasting effects on their political identities, making them more likely to identify as Democrats, support unions, and say that the world is not inherently fair.
Further reading:
“A Different World: Enduring Effects of School Desegregation on Ideology and Attitudes,” by Ethan Kaplan, Jorg L. Spenkuch, and Cody Tuttle
The Nature of Prejudice, by Gordon Allport
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54:33
In Search of 100-Year-Old Paper Trails
Researchers have suggested that lifestyle choices explain the remarkably high number of very old people living healthy lives in regions of the world known as “blue zones.” That research has spawned cookbooks, docuseries, and diets and turned blue zones into a household name. Today’s episode is a conversation with Dr. Saul Newman, who has upended the field by questioning the underlying data and research methods that hold up the now-controversial theory.
Further reading:
“Supercentenarian and remarkable age records exhibit patterns indicative of clerical errors and pension fraud,” by Saul Newman
“The Science Behind Blue Zones: Demographers Debunk the Critics”—an open letter signed by scientists and demographers supporting the “blue zones” theory
“Sorry, No Secret to Life Is Going to Make You Live to 110,” by Saul Newman for The New York Times
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51:23
Politicians Think Voters Are Dumb. Are They Right?
What do politicians really think of their voters? A new study looking at 11 different democracies finds that politicians hold an unflattering view of their constituents, while voters view themselves as thoughtful, policy-oriented decision makers. The political scientist Jack Lucas explains why politicians think voters are dumb and why they might be wrong.
Further reading:
“Politicians’ Theories of Voting Behavior,” by Jack Lucas, et al.
“Are politicians democratic realists?,” by Jack Lucas, Lior Sheffer, and Peter John Loewen
Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government, by Christopher H. Achen and Larry M. Bartels
“‘Everything Is Terrible, but I’m Fine,’” by Derek Thompson
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Have you ever heard a commonly held belief or a fast-developing worldview and asked: Is that idea right? Or just good on paper? Each week, host Jerusalem Demsas and a guest take a closer look at the facts and research that challenge the popular narratives of the day, to better understand why we believe what we believe.
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