E25 Dr. Jeffrey Green

We had the absolute honor of speaking with Dr. Jeffrey Green, Director of the Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy and Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania. In this episode, we explore core ideas from his works The Shadow of Unfairness: A Plebeian Theory of Liberal Democracy, The Eyes of the People: Democracy in an Age of Spectatorship. In this episode, we examine the paradox of democracy, balancing its pursuit of progress with the fear that its ideals may never be fully achieved, and how this tension contributes to youth disillusionment. We also unpack modern misconceptions about representation and the power of the vote, balancing realism with optimism. Shifting to the framework of spectatorship, we dissect its central tenets and potential drawbacks, from closing the distance between spectators and the political elite, the tension between the few and the many, and how contemporary tools might echo ancient practices like eisphora and antidosis. Finally, we discuss whether solace is a legitimate democratic need, drawing on ancient plebeian responses and Epicurean withdrawal, and reflect on whether, at times, disengagement could actually serve as a form of democratic empowerment.Stay tuned to the end to see how the author of Bob Dylan: Prophet Without God tackles the hardest question of them all: picking his top Bob Dylan songs. Check it out!