New Books Network Natasha Piano, "Democratic Elitism: The Founding Myth of American Political Science" (Harvard UP, 2025)
Nov 1, 2025
Natasha Piano, an Assistant Professor at UCLA and author of Democratic Elitism, discusses the Italian School of Elitism's insights into democracy. She argues that elections alone can't secure democracy, potentially breeding disillusionment among the masses. Piano explores how Vilfredo Pareto's elite circulation theory highlights the risks of elite corruption, while Gaetano Mosca’s institutional solutions aim to renew democratic impulses. She emphasizes the importance of civic engagement and warns against equating elections with actual democratic practices.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Elections Are Necessary But Insufficient
- The Italian School argued elections alone cannot secure democracy and often mask plutocratic capture.
- Democratic legitimacy requires institutions beyond voting that check economic power and sustain popular confidence.
Pareto: Elections Can Enable Plutocracy
- Pareto warned that electoral systems structurally facilitate elite and plutocratic collaboration.
- He argued that exposing these structural risks is needed to prevent demagogues from dismantling liberal norms.
Elite Circulation As A River
- Pareto's 'elite circulation' compares ruling groups to a river that must renew from popular sources.
- Stability depends on elites remaining responsive to majoritarian needs or being replaced.
