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10% Less Democracy: Why You Should Trust Elites a Little More and the Masses a Little Less 1st Edition

by Garett Jones (Author)
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During the 2016 presidential election, both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders argued that elites were hurting the economy. But, drawing together evidence and theory from across economics, political science, and even finance, Garett Jones says otherwise. In 10% Less Democracy, he makes the case that the richest, most democratic nations would be better off if they slightly reduced accountability to the voting public, turning up the dial on elite influence.

To do this, Jones builds on three foundational lines of evidence in areas where he has personal experience. First, as a former staffer in the U.S. Senate, he saw how senators voted differently as elections grew closer. Second, as a macroeconomist, Jones knows the merits of "independent" central banks, which sit apart from the political process and are controlled by powerful insiders. The consensus of the field is that this detached, technocratic approach has worked far better than more political and democratic banking systems. Third, his previous research on the effects of cognitive skills on political, social, and economic systems revealed many ways in which well-informed voters improve government.

Discerning repeated patterns, Jones draws out practical suggestions for fine-tuning, focusing on the length of political terms, the independence of government agencies, the weight that voting systems give to the more-educated, and the value of listening more closely to a group of farsighted stakeholders with real skin in the game―a nation's sovereign bondholders. Accessible to political news junkies while firmly rooted and rigorous, 10% Less Democracy will fuel the national conversation about what optimal government looks like.

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  1. ISBN-10
    1503603571
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1503603578
  3. Edition
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  4. Publisher
    Stanford University Press
  5. Publication date
    February 4, 2020
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1 x 9.25 inches
  8. Print length
    248 pages
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"10% Less Democracy is a joy to read. If you liked Freakonomics or Predictably Irrational, you'll love this book. It deserves to be read widely, widely discussed―and acted upon. A tour de force combining the best economic insight with real-world, practical applications. Every chapter demonstrates ways in which reducing democratic control over certain decisions reliably results in better outcomes for all. We should jettison our religious attachment to democracy and see it for what it is: a tool good only in moderation." -- Jason Brennan, author of Cracks in the Ivory Tower

"How can we rescue democracy from the slough of despond into which it has fallen? In this lucidly written book, Garett Jones makes the case for a surprising answer: the best way to improve democracy is to have a bit less of it. It's only by handing power to technical experts, lengthening congressional terms, staggering elections, and reducing direct democracy that we can save the invaluable core of democracy from self-destruction." -- Adrian Wooldridge ― co-author of Capitalism in America: An Economic History

"Invocation of 'democracy' is one of the most ill-defined canards of modern discourse. In this revisionist work, rooted in common sense, Jones shows that effective representative government does not in fact rest on pure democracy, but does rely on well-functioning elites. Definitely recommended." -- Tyler Cowen ― Holbert L. Harris Chair of Economics at George Mazon University, Author of Big Business: A Love Letter to an American Anti-Hero

"The belief in democracy is strong in most rich, democratic countries, even sacred. Why in the world would anyone propose ten percent less of it? The key is sharpening our thinking on what 'democracy' means. Once we allow a sharper definiteion, decision-making by the vote of all, we demystify 'democracy' and more sensibly assess its pluses and minuses. Jones' argument is persuasive and rests on global data." -- Charlotta Stern, Professor of Sociology, Stockholm University ― Deputy Director of the Ratio Institute

"If a genie told me that James Madison had been reincarnated as another person and had written an update to the Federalist Papers, I'd say, 'It's Garett Jones and 10% Less Democracy, right?'" -- Tim Groseclose, Professor of Economics ― George Mason University

"Mr Jones musters plenty of convincing evidence that fewer elections and more distance between voters and decisions make for better governance." -- The Economist

"In his cheeky new book, 10% Less Democracy, the economist Garett Jones makes a counter-zeitgeist case for more 'epistocracy,' or rule by the knowledgeable. Recent weeks have rather made the case for him and altered that zeitgeist." -- Janan Ganesh ― Financial Times

"Overall, the book embodies a courageous attempt to grapple with the weaknesses of democratic decision-making... Jones provides copious sparks to reflect on democratic practice by setting out the proposals, pondering their viability and defending their soundness. Stylistically, his reasoning proceeds orderly and fluidly, accompanying the reader with data and examples which contributes in making his thesis clear." -- Paolo Bodini ― Ethical Theory and Moral Practice

About the Author

Garett Jones is Associate Professor of Economics at the Center for Study of Public Choice, George Mason University. He also holds the BB&T Professorship for the Study of Capitalism at the Mercatus Center. Garett's research and commentary have appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Forbes, and Businessweek. His first book, Hive Mind: How Your Nation's IQ Matters So Much More Than Your Own (Stanford, 2015) was a Gold Medalist in the 2016 Independent Publisher Book Awards.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Stanford University Press; 1st edition (February 4, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 248 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1503603571
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1503603578
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.22 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

About the author

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Garett Jones

Garett Jones

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I'm an economics professor at George Mason University and author of The Culture Transplant, which explains how migrants tend to make the economies they move to a lot like the economies they came from. I am the author of three books--my Singapore Trilogy--with Stanford University Press. The other two are Hive Mind, on why being around smart people is more important than being smart yourself, and 10% Less Democracy, on why democracy is excellent but that doesn't mean you can't have too much of a good thing.

In the past, I've worked as an economic adviser in the United States Senate, both for Senator Orrin Hatch and (for a summer) on the Joint Economic Committee. As an undergraduate at Brigham Young University, I studied history and sociology; I later studied public administration at Cornell and earned an MA in political science at Berkeley. In 2000 I received a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, San Diego, where I had studied macroeconomics and applied time series econometrics.

I've also passed the introductory sommelier examination through the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
80 global ratings

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Customers find the content thought-provoking and easy to read. They also say the book is nonconfrontational.

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3 customers mention "Content"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the content thought-provoking.

"A provocative thesis that is compellingly argued...." Read more

"...The suggestions he does mention are thought provoking...." Read more

"...The book adds some depth and some interesting facts but most people are likely better off sticking with a summary (say a podcast interview about it)." Read more

3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book surprising easy to read and nonconfrontational.

"...This book has the readability of a popular press but the information density of an academic press...." Read more

"...You can see that the guy knows his data and numbers. But it reads nicely.Not a technical book at all...." Read more

"...Insert eye roll.The book is concise, well written and worth reading...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Derek Bonett
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read
Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2020
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A provocative thesis that is compellingly argued. In each chapter, Professor Jones carefully lays out the theoretical mechanism whereby reduced voter accountability would lead to improved governance and then draws on the best empirical studies as corroboration.

This book has the readability of a popular press but the information density of an academic press. I will be incorporating it into my comparative politics syllabus, as it represents an important and substantive challenge to the bien pensant orthodoxy that democracy is an unalloyed good.
4 people found this helpful
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Brian LaRocca
4.0 out of 5 stars Always More Democracy?
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2020
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A good corrective to the notion that more democracy is inherently better. Jones argues that after a certain baseline of fair elections and a free press is met, there is less of a need to democratize the bureaucracy. He cites studies showing there is no correlation between higher democracy rates and higher growth and, according to some studies, it may actually hurt.

In a democracy, well being is not hurt by the death of a leader so any one election is not paramount to a country's success. Roy Fair's work shows that economic measures are more predictive of election winners yet, counterintuitively, in tight elections politicians will choose populist policies over sound economic decisions. Hence, longer terms may make for sounder policies that ultimately benefit the electorate and the politicians.

At the vanguard of the technocratic movement has been governments' willingness to allow Central Bank independence. Countries that have done so see less volatile inflation and no more volatile growth and unemployment and lower risk of an imploding banking system ("a lunch you get paid to eat"). Tirole and Maskin's work shows that as long as the electorate is informed, information easy to gather and feedback relatively quick, appointing bureaucrats and judges works well. Elected judges try to win for their electorate rather than interpret the law. Citing one study, " greater judicial independence is still a [robust] predictor of stronger property right." Towns with independent treasurers pay less in interest. Independent energy regulators tend to lead to better and more services.

My main gripe with the book was that Jones spends too much time on going through some technical parts of the Central Bank independence but not enough time on what 10% less democracy would look like in practice. The suggestions he does mention are thought provoking. A "merit commission" that looks for global talent in government and only rejects candidates based on strong evidence. Rethinking our ban on ear marks to grease the wheels of good policy. A technocratic board to implement tax policy efficiently. Allowing bond holders a say in government policy to insure fiscal restraint. Far fetched for sure but, like the rest of the book, a lot of interesting ideas to wrestle with.
10 people found this helpful
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A M
5.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2020
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100% democracy was in Athene (for rich men only). The current representative democracy is less than 100%. Garett Jones suggests to lower it further in order to raise well-being. Some suggestions, such as the promotion of an independent central bank and nominated (rather than elected) judges, are quite reasonable. Other suggestions, such as a place for bondholders in the upper house, are more controversial. But all the suggestions are well-argued and are supported by empirical observations.
2 people found this helpful
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Jazi Zilber
5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly easy to read and nonconfrontational
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2020
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I found myself finishing the book without much planning. Which is a good sign of engagement and readability.

He avoids moral issues. Which is a great feature. He simply analyses the functional efficiency of various versions of democracy.

You can see that the guy knows his data and numbers. But it reads nicely.

Not a technical book at all. But you can see it is based on solid research.
4 people found this helpful
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dryicee
3.0 out of 5 stars disappointing
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2021
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The chapter about restricting voting privilege is especially disappointing. It was evidence free and a missed opportunity. The author should have looked at some examples of good policies and bad policies and see if any of the proposals actually makes any difference. Another thing that is definitively ignored is the role of expertise. I suspect that it is not merely the appointment of judges and central bankers that lead to better outcomes, but that they genuinely have useful expertise.

10% less meandering in the writing would also be helpful.
2 people found this helpful
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RV
4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Premise with Some Strange Turns
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2021
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I heard the author speak on the “Innovation Hub” podcast, after which I decided to read the book.

The premise is simple: we have too much direct democracy, and some outcomes could be improved by eliminating the people’s direct involvement. The book offers empirical evidence that demonstrates elected judges don’t perform as well as appointed judges; independent central bankers are more effective than ones dependent on “accountable politicians”; longer terms make politicians braver and help them make the right long term choices.

As a Californian, I’m highly sympathetic to these arguments. Our initiative process puts a book length set of initiatives in front of voters at least twice a year, asking us to make uninformed choices about everything from healthcare professional licensing policies to taxation. We are also asked to vote for the fire district, harbor master, state auditor, state attorney general and dozens of other positions. Most of us don’t understand these roles, are not qualified to assess the quality of the candidates to these highly specialized roles, and frankly most of us don’t care - leading to low voter participation and the ability of special interests to capture these often high impact offices.

So, generally speaking I agree with the premise. But then the author takes a strange turn and starts advocating for some truly bizarre propositions: let only graduates of top universities vote for some seats in the upper house; universal sufferage leads to poorer outcomes, because voters are uninformed, therefore making it harder to vote is a good thing. Insert eye roll.

The book is concise, well written and worth reading. Some chapters (notably chapter 5) best taken with a heavy dose of salt or with a Republican Party registration card. Enjoy.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Xyz
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read
Reviewed in Germany on April 18, 2024
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A must read for everyone!
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Yug
4.0 out of 5 stars The essentials of Democracy
Reviewed in Australia on March 22, 2020
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I appreciate the idea, which the author could have delivered much more succinctly. The essentials are:
-Independent Judiciary
-Independent central bank
-Independent Security apparatus
Plus numerous NGO type operations which hold the Government to account.
Many of these independent operations are being threatened round the world by Governments trying ot take back hard won control, such as the United States.
-Independent crisis management in the hands of technical experts should be added to the list
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Tara
4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking
Reviewed in Australia on March 20, 2020
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A timely discussion on the future of democracy
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