1st Edition
Behavioral Political Economy and Democratic Theory Fortifying Democracy for the Digital Age
Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgments
List of Figures and Tables
Introduction
Overview of the Book’s Structure
The Paradigmatic Struggle in the Theory of Human Behavior
Economic Approach to Human Behavior
An Empire of Rational Choice
Behavioral Paradigm Shift
Towards a New Theory of Human Behavior
Predictive Success and "Realism"
Neoclassical Predictive Success
Behavioral Economics’ Promise
Conclusion
Democracy and Rationality
Choice: Individual and Collective
The Problem of Social Choice
The Problem of Rational Ignorance and the Wisdom of Crowds
Condorcet’s Jury Theorem
Miracle of Aggregation and Diversity Trumps Ability Theorem
Behavioral Political Economy of Democracy
A Democratic Equilibrium
Conclusion
The Republic of Misinformation
The Victim Narrative
A Question of Agency
Victims and Opportunists
Democracy contra Disinformation
Conclusion
The Conceit of Behaviorally Informed Paternalism
(Ir)rationality, Sovereignty, and Welfare
In Our Best Interest
Searching for True Preferences
Democratic Preference Laundering
Conclusion
Fortifying Democracy for the Digital Age
The Landscape of Democratic Reform
One Step at a Time: Marginal Reform
Boosts
Budges
Democracy Remodeled: Radical Reform
Quadratic Voting
Open Democracy
An Anti-Psychological State
Conclusion
The Road Ahead
Biography
Petr Špecián, Charles University and Prague University of Economics and Business, Czech Republic.
