One person, one vote. In theory, everyone in a democracy has equal power to decide elections. But it’s hardly news that, in reality, political outcomes are heavily determined by the logic of one dollar, one vote. We take the political power of money for granted. But does it have to be this way? In The Price of Democracy, Julia Cagé combines economic and historical analysis with political theory to show how profoundly our systems in North America and Europe, from think tanks and the media to election campaigns, are shaped by money. She proposes fundamental reforms to bring democracy back into line with its egalitarian promise. At a time of widespread political disenchantment, The Price of Democracy is a bracing reminder of the problems we face and an inspirational guide to the potential for reform.
Julia Cage is Assistant Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics at Sciences Po Paris.
She is also co-director of the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Evaluation of Public Policies’ “Evaluation of Democracy” research group and a Research Affiliate of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
Event co-sponsored by the Alliance Program, Department of Economics and SIPA.
Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please arrive ahead of time to secure a spot.
