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The Robert A. Young Lecture in Political Science
The Robert A. Young Lecture in Political Science
Robust Democracies Are Messy: Coupling, Institutional Failure, and Federalism
Dr. Jenna Bednar - University of Michigan and the Santa Fe Institute
Democratic systems rarely collapse because a single institution fails. They collapse when institutions begin to move in lockstep. Drawing on ideas from complexity science, this talk argues that democratic fragility arises from institutional coupling: when political institutions, information systems, and norms respond to shocks in the same way, failures become correlated across the system. Robust democracies instead preserve diversity in authority, incentives, and information. Federal systems help sustain this heterogeneity by distributing power across jurisdictions and political arenas. The disorder and friction that federalism introduces may be costly in ordinary times, but that very messiness can make democratic collapse far less likely.
Light refreshments will be available before the talk. We hope you can join us!