Leading a Nation of Devils: How to Get Things Done in a Democracy | AshCast

Are presidents and prime ministers—whether Thatcher, Blair, Reagan or Obama—responsible for the dysfunctions of democratic governance today? In this seminar, Stein Ringen argues that they are. The role of the chief executive in ensuring good governance is to “maintain order in a nation of devils,” a concept Ringen borrows from Immanuel Kant. They inevitably face opposition from those seeking to frustrate their plan—whether in moving a giant bureaucracy or in ensuring citizen compliance. “Hard libertarians and soft advocates of participatory democracy have in common that they believe people to be of sound and rational character and judgment,” Ringen writes. “But they are not, which is why leadership from above is the essence.” Yet too often they mistake power for authority as the key ingredient to successful governance. The author explores authority, leadership, trust, culture, and institutional reform in his search for solutions.