About the Talk
What, if any form of democracy is best placed to address the problem of concentrated political power? Is Democracy best understood as a tool to minimise problems of elite ‘capture’ and if so, what are the background requirements for it to fulfil this role? In this episode of the podcast Professor Mark Pennington speaks to Dr Samuel Bagg about his recent book The Dispersion of Power: A Critical Realist Theory of Democracy (Oxford University Press), which attempts to address these and other important issues of political economy.
The Guest
Dr Samuel Bagg is Assistant Professor of Political Science at University of South Carolina. He worked previously as a Lecturer in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Oxford University. His work addresses democratic ideals and practices in the context of inequalities in social and economic power. In addition to the Dispersion of Power, Samuel has published numerous articles in outlets such as the American Journal of Political Science, European Journal of Political Theory, Journal of Political Philosophy, and the American Political Science Review.