Episode · Freakonomics Radio · 2026-11-06
Books mentioned on 694. Does Democracy Really Need Elections?
Stephen Dubner recently served on a criminal jury. Twelve strangers — selected randomly and barely paid — took the job seriously.
Other mentions in this episode (4) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Passing Democracy Without Politicians
“Baricius' book is called Democracy Without Politicians.”
Passing Politics Without Politicians
“Ylenn Landemore recently published a book called Politics Without Politicians.”
Passing The Lord of the Rings
“It's a theme of literature, like from Lord of the Rings. The ring will corrupt you, so you don't want to give it to people who are eminently corruptible.”
Passing Democracy Without Politicians
“I spoke with New York Governor Kathy Hochul a few months ago before she won re-election this week. I told her about Terry Baricius' book, Democracy Without Politicians.”