The James C. Scott Memorial Episode

Podcast: Statecraft (LS 37 · TOP 2.5% what is this?)Episode: The James C. Scott Memorial EpisodePub date: 2026-07-30Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationToday, my guest is writer, thinker, and friend Dan Wang. He was on Statecraft a year ago, but this time, we're talking about a scholar who has shaped both of our thinking: the late great James C. Scott, author of (among many other classics) Seeing Like a State.We discuss:* How Scott’s fieldwork helped him understand peasant life and state capacity* How mountains impede state power, in Southeast Asia and the USA* How peasants and civil servants resist authority* The advantages of tubers over rice* Dan’s guiding principles for a career in an era of large language modelsFor the full transcript of this conversation, go to www.statecraft.pub. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.statecraft.pubThe podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Santi Ruiz, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.