Realism, Ideology, and the Convulsions of Democracy

This edited volume explores the tension between reason and sentiment in democracies and its contribution to the decline of liberalism. Bringing together classical liberal scholars with a deep knowledge of public choice ideas, the chapters delve into this tension from a variety of perspectives. Building on the principle of entangled political economy, as articulated by Richard E. Wagner, this volume engages with new facets of the relationship between choice and consequence and their implications for democratic politics. Advocating for a reframing of public choice theory as compatible with civic republicanism, this volume will be of interest to students and scholars of public choice, political economy, political theory, governance, and economic policy.

Mikayla Novak is Senior Fellow, F. A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Novak is the author of two books, and over 20 peer-review articles, a number of which apply the entangled political economy framework to economic, social, and technological phenomena. Novak earned her Ph.D. in Economics from RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, in 2013.Marta Podemska-Mikluch is an Associate Professor of Economics at Gustavus Adolphus College. Using the analytical approach of entangled political economy, Podemska-Mikluch's research analyzes the role entrepreneurship plays at the intersection of divergent institutional settings and the role regulations play in fostering and curtailing innovation. Podemska-Mikluch earned her Ph.D. in Economics from George Mason University in 2012. Richard E. Wagner is Professor Emeritus of Economics at George Mason University. He has authored some 30 books and 200 journal articles across a wide variety of subjects in economic theory and political economy. Prior to arriving at George Mason in 1989, he served on the faculties of Florida State University, Auburn University, Virginia Tech, Tulane University, and the University of California at Irvine. After completing his undergraduate work at the University of Southern California in 1963, he received his Ph.D. at the University of Virginia in 1966.