Marc J. Dunkelman is a senior fellow at the Searchlight Institute and a fellow at Brown University’s Watson School of International and Public Affairs. He is the author of Why Nothing Works, a book about progressivism’s role in government dysfunction. Dunkelman’s book has been an important influence on the “abundance movement,” which proposes to shift the Democratic Party’s focus toward reforming ...
In this discussion, Yglesias argues that an inefficient and unresponsive government can lead people to seek strong leadership, as exemplified by Donald Trump's presidency. He proposes streamlining bureaucratic processes to deliver on the promises of democracy and prevent authoritarianism. Adler-Bell counters with a call for maintaining checks and balances to ensure responsible governance. The conversation illustrates two contrasting perspectives on the role of centralized power in government, hi...