Jonathan Rauch's 2016 Atlantic cover story, "How American Politics Went Insane," argued that we've reformed our politics into dysfunction. We talk about how telling people to vote or participate in the process is not, on its own, going to solve our problems. We need people to either get involved in political parties or delegate authority to them. The irony, he says, is that "an unmediated, direct democracy, is less democratic and less representative than mediated democracy.” 

Episode 1 explained how I got interested in the topic of institutions by asking myself why the Republican Party was powerless to stop Donald Trump. Episode 2 explored the question, “What are institutions and why are they important?” Episode 3 looked at ways in which institutions can be harmful. This 4th episode is the first of a few that will look closely at the specific institution of political parties. 

Opening Clip: From The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education

Opening Music: "Power" by Kanye West 

Books/Articles by Jonathan Rauch

• "Kindly Inquisitors: The New Attacks on Free Thought" 
• "Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America"
• "Denial: My 25 Years Without a Soul" 
• "Political Realism: How Hacks, Machines, Big Money, and Back-Room Deals Can Strengthen American Democracy"
• "How American Politics Went Insane," The Atlantic 
• "More Professionalism, Less Populism: Why Voting Makes Us Stupid and What To Do About It"

Other books or articles mentioned:

• "The Futility of Nostalgia and the Romanticism of the New Political Realists: Why Praising the 19th Century Political Machine Won't Solve the 21st Century's Problems" - by Thomas Mann and EJ Dionne
• "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman
• "How We Got Here: The 70's: The Decade that Brought You Modern Life (For Better or Worse)" by David Frum

Closing Music: "Rita" by Madeline Kenney

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