Can There Be Such a Thing as Too Much Democracy?

KQED's Forum

KQED

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 656 Ratings

🗓️ 7 November 2022

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

“Not everyone should get a say” seems counterintuitive to the idea of democracy. But according to Atlantic writer Jerusalem Demsas, when it comes to new housing or infrastructure projects, sometimes community input can be undemocratic. Often a vocal and persistent minority is able to stymie much-needed proposals. We’ll talk with Demsas and experts about how participatory democracy can get in the way of progress and whether it can be fixed. Guests: Jerusalem Demsas, staff writer, Atlantic Magazine Katherine Levine Einstein, associate professor, political science and director of Undergraduate Studies, Boston University; co-author, "Neighborhood Defenders: Participatory Politics and America's Housing Crisis" Paul Sabin, Randolph W. Townsend, Jr. Professor of History and Professor of American Studies, Yale University; author, "Public Citizens: The Attack on Big Government and the Remaking of American Liberalism;" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for Forum comes from Rancho La Puerta, a wellness resort in Baja, California, just an hour from San Diego,
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0:27.3	Greetings, Boomtown.
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0:43.7	From KQED.
0:59.5	From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Alexis Madrigal.
1:05.6	We've got Election Day tomorrow, but living in a democracy is more than just a vote on a particular day, right?
1:11.6	Elected leaders take office, and then they hear from their constituents, and at least theoretically, represent their district. In the Bay Area, this participatory politics, the part where the people go to meetings, send in feedback, etc., can sometimes seem excessive.
1:21.6	Muni, for example, noted that a small change to parking near bus stops in San Francisco would take seven years to implement because
1:28.8	of the number of public hearings required.
1:31.5	So today, we tackle civic engagement here in the Bay Area and beyond.
1:36.3	Can there be too much of a good thing?
1:39.0	That's all coming up next after this news.
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