Conversations with Tyler Garett Jones on Democracy (More or Less)
Feb 26, 2020
Garett Jones, an economist at George Mason University and author of "10% Less Democracy," tackles provocative ideas about limiting democratic accountability. He argues against governance by bondholders and suggests reforms for more responsible democracy. The conversation spans the importance of econometric skills for risk-taking in policy-making, the evolution of collective intelligence, and even the underrated charm of French cuisine. He shares insights on the challenges facing the Mormon Church and how studying wine can surprisingly teach economic principles.
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Swiss Democracy
- Switzerland's success with direct democracy might be due to its local implementation.
- The Athenian system of direct democracy worked in smaller groups, similar to Swiss cantons.
Ceding Power
- One example of willingly giving up power to elites is the rise of independent central banking since the 1970s.
- Politicians ceded financial control to unelected economists with long terms.
Weirdos in Government
- Employing "super smart weirdos" for governmental reform works best in focused teams (skunk works).
- Identify sections open to reform and let these teams re-engineer them.
