OK: I have a new favorite topic to teach in intro philosophy classes: lottocracy. Literally half my class followed me back to my office because they *couldn't stop talking about it.* Lottocracy is the argument that elections don't work, and that the best way democracy is through lottery.

A very nice discussion of Lottocracy in @jacobinmag.bsky.social jacobin.com/2025/12/lott...

I just published a Cambridge Elements that offers a critical overview of recent work in epistocracy, Confucian meritocracy, and democratic theories of meritocracy. Free to download for the next two weeks. URL: t.co/Z5BOYrCRGF.

Such an amazing event last year and the program for this year looks excellent!

Looking forward to this!

We are hiring TWO political theorists as well as a PPE position which is open to theorists (focus on history of economic thought) - please apply and circulate! www.kcl.ac.uk/jobs/108445-...

Look, I've seen the Dark Crystal. I know what this is about. Elon the Skeksi better be evaporated during the conjunction ceremony... www.sciencealert.com/a-rare-align...

From our new issue - How can we accept ‘our’ decisions?: an experimental study on lottocracy, epistocracy, and electoral democracy - cup.org/42iOEhz - Akito Yamaguchi, Masaki Hata & Akira Inoue #jjps

Check out my new podcast on Lottocracy with Alex Guerrero: open.substack.com/pub/drpaulze...

Apply to NEWLAMP! Deadline February 1. NEWLAMP is an annual workshop aimed at helping professors integrate under-represented philosophical traditions into their syllabi. The 2025 workshop will be held from June 23-27 at Wellesley and focus on African social and political philosophy.

Please help spread the word in the USA! #unifyUSA is revving up! open.substack.com/pub/drpaulze...

Whoa, we’re halfway there Whoa, we’re halfway there Whoa, we’re halfway there Whoa, we’re halfway there Whoa, we’re halfway there Whoa, we’re halfway there Whoa, we’re halfway there Whoa, we’re halfway there Zeno’s Karaoke

Hello BlueSky👋 Can't wait to discover this new platform to discuss the role of citizens in addressing our democratic future! Would you like to learn more about our work? Here is a short introduction for you👇

On @serenekhader.bsky.social's Faux Feminism and Social Hierarchy. With a link to @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social's piece in Teen Vogue digressionsimpressions.substack.com/p/on-faux-fe...

Call for Papers: The Association for Social and Political Conference Annual Meeting, University of Glasgow, 15-16 July 2025... Now PhilEvents Official! philevents.org/event/show/1...

Social/Political Philosophers/Theorists, The Association for Social and Political Philosophy will be meeting in Glasgow this July. Please see the call for papers below. And please share widely!

Harvard Law Prof Mark Tushnet on Lottocracy & Splitsville: “Two of the best books about constitutional design I’ve read recently…Zurn and Guerrero aren’t interested in expanding the Overton window, they’re in favor of smashing the window and its frame completely." balkin.blogspot.com/2024/12/thinki…

If you can't get enough 2024-in-review, check out extended versions of Josh & Ray's conversations with @dailynous.com editor Justin Weinberg, CNN legal analyst @eliehonig.bsky.social, and Rutgers philosopher @alexgphilosophy.bsky.social at our website: www.philosophytalk.org/shows/examined-year-2024

Wonderful piece on citizens’ assemblies and in particular the citizens’ assembly in Bend, Oregon. What Could Citizens’ Assemblies Do for American Politics? www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...

Excellent reporting on how the Cuban govt military dept GAESA has billions that could be used for urgent aid but is instead being used (through GAESA owned Almest and Gaviota) to invest in tourism. Crony communist corruption, not egalitarianism, rules the island. www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...

It was great fun to be interviewed about lottocracy on the Philosophy Talk year in review episode. Available now for download…

TODAY: Josh and Ray examine The Year in Philosophy with @dailynous.com, The Year in Political Unaccountability with @eliehonig.bsky.social, and The Year in Democracy (Without Elections) with @alexgphilosophy.bsky.social – 11 am on KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco & at www.kalw.org/show/philoso....

Lottocracy on Philosophy Talk on Sunday!

This is a great piece. I have long thought that complaints about overpunitive “cancellation” ring hollow, as the perpetrators almost never acknowledge their own wrongdoing, apologize, take steps to restore, or even forswear future misconduct. www.thephilosopher1923.org/post/on-canc...

Someone should write a dissertation (or at least a think piece) about how different weird animals become popular with kids (and others): narwhal, axolotl, now capybara…

So the guy who spent $250 million to elect Trump wants to kill a car safety regulation that could help save lives and the Trump transition team says, sure. Has to be a coincidence, right?

Get excited for NEWLAMP 2025, which will be held at Wellesley from June 23 to June 27! The focus will be on African social and political philosophy. It will be led by three experts: Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò (Cornell), Bernard Matolino (U. of Pretoria), and Zeyad El Nabolsy (York). 1/3

🤩 The CfP for the 7th Deliberative Democracy Summer School is out now 🤩 A toast to our colleagues from the University of Zurich for hosting the European version of the summer school. Grants available for students with limited institutional support. www.ipz.uzh.ch/en/study/doc...

The Oxford Graduate Conference in Political Theory 2025 is now accepting applications! To submit an abstract, visit the website: oxgradconference.wixsite.com/oxfordgradco...

I'm happy to announce my new book on the Supreme Court's role in fostering mass incarceration will go on sale March 4. I hope you'll check it out! You can preorder here: www.amazon.com/gp/product/0... And read more details here: www.hup.harvard.edu/books/978067...

This is about all that is left of the 1996 Republican Party (high quality adhesive!)

Major production beginning on our year-in-review special, "The Examined Year: 2024." Tune in Dec-29 at 11 am on KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco for conversations with @dailynous.com editor Justin Weinberg, CNN legal analyst @eliehonig.bsky.social, and Rutgers philosopher @alexgphilosophy.bsky.social.

One of the most interesting points (to me) in @roberttalisse.bsky.social’s new Civic Solitide is Aristotle’s notion that elections are anti-democratic. I would have dismissed lotteries in place of elections out of hand until I thought about it. @alexgphilosophy.bsky.social has a book on the topic:

ICYMI: The Extending New Narratives in the History of Philosophy project invites proposals for papers on neglected figures or themes in the history of moral, social, and political philosophy, to be presented at at McGill University, June 6-8, 2025. www.newnarrativesinphilosophy.net/announcements

OUP doing a nice spotlight on political epistemology, including work by Tom Kelly, Regina Rini, and lottocracy! Lottocracy, now by Paul Guyer (with 100% more Kantianism)! academic.oup.com/journals/pag...

I had a great time talking with @roberttalisse.bsky.social about Lottocracy on the New Books in Philosophy podcast. If you listen about Lottocracy for long enough, there are commercials about the new Ford F-150 electric trucks! What a world! newbooksnetwork.com/lottocracy

Rutgers political philosophy representing with two new OUP books, and two of the only Cuban-American political philosophers also representing with those same two books… Check out Lottocracy and Boxed In!

The NYT impressive capacity for understatement: “The appointment of that operative, Susie Wiles, to be Mr. Trump’s chief of staff … signals that his second term, like his first, may not be as hostile to special interests as his campaign rhetoric suggested.” Yeah, you don’t say?

Excited to be on my way to give the 2024 APA Lecture. If you are in or near San Jose, stop by and say hi!

In all the post-election analysis, I feel like this is the picture that we most need to understand.

If you are interested in on-the-ground work to improve democratic institutions around the world, check out the work of some of these organizations: www.lottocracy.org/get-involved

I wrote this before the election and IAI ran it after (without any changes). It makes the case that US presidential election pathology is a symptom of deeper problems and that lottocracy might be a better way of addressing those underlying issues… iai.tv/articles/how...

Lottocracy on Zoom on Monday! Is democracy in crisis? Should we ditch elections, cancel politicians, and let randomly selected citizens lead? Tune in on the eve of the US election! 🗓️ Nov 4 | 2pm ET | 7pm UK 🔗 Register: bit.ly/4ebyclg

Are you suffering from election season despair? Do you feel like somehow, this isn't the best possible system? If so, try Lottocracy (TM)! Now, 30% off and available everywhere in the US starting on November 4! Use promotion code AUFLY30 to save 30% at global.oup.com/academic

My Year of Saying Yes For one year, I (an academic philosopher) am going to accept all scammy invitations. I will publish in Natural Resource Management and serve on the editorial board of Records of Cell & Bioscience and attend the Global Summit on Nursing and Midwifery. The power! The glory!

Misheard/misspelled idioms that are improvements on the originals: "that bags the question" (puts the question that was of interest into a bag, hidden from view, rather than answering it) "all bats are off" (all the world's bats, a belief attached to each one, released to fly in every direction)