Against Democracy

A provocative argument that democracy has no intrinsic value and should be judged by its results, and that some form of epistocracy, rule by the knowledgeable, might do better. Brennan draws on research showing that most voters know little about politics. He divides citizens into hobbits, who are uninformed and uninterested; hooligans, who follow politics like sports fans and process information in biased ways; and vulcans, who think about politics scientifically and impartially. Most people are hobbits or hooligans, and he argues that political participation tends to make people worse rather than better. He rejects arguments that an equal vote is needed to express equal respect. His central principle is that high-stakes political decisions should be made competently and in good faith. He then considers epistocratic options, including restricted suffrage, extra votes for the better informed, an enfranchisement lottery and an epistocratic veto. The main objection, which he discusses, is that any test of competence risks entrenching existing inequalities, since political knowledge tends to track privilege.

It forces readers to say exactly why they value democracy, and it is a sharp recent challenge to the idea that everyone has a right to an equal say.