Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer

Why Democracy Needs a New Operating System (with K. Sabeel Rahman)

May 6, 2025

K. Sabeel Rahman, a legal scholar and former advisor in the Biden administration, joins to discuss the urgent need for a new approach to democracy. They dive into the repercussions of trickle-down economics and the failures of past governance. Rahman emphasizes that simply restoring old systems won't suffice; instead, we need innovative reforms to ensure government serves the people effectively. They explore how corporate interests have threatened democracy and advocate for structural changes that prioritize community needs and equity.

44:39

Episode guests

K. Sabeel Rahman

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The podcast emphasizes the failure of trickle-down economics, advocating for a shift to middle-out economics that empowers the middle class.

K. Sabeel Rahman discusses the need for a restructured democracy that evolves government practices to better serve contemporary societal needs.

Deep dives

Challenging the Economic Paradigm

The podcast discusses the failures of trickle-down economics over the past fifty years, emphasizing that this approach has exacerbated inequality and political instability. Instead, it advocates for middle-out economics, which posits that the middle class is the true engine of economic growth. This paradigm shift aims to center economic policy around strengthening the middle class rather than prioritizing corporate profits, which has led to government inefficiencies. By focusing on the needs and security of the middle class, the discussion highlights the potential for a more equitable and sustainable economic model.

Intro

2min

Navigating the Challenges of Government Regulation Reform

2min

Rethinking Government's Role in Democracy's Survival

2min

Reimagining Democracy and Governance

24min

Rethinking Governance: Evidence-Based Approaches for Modern Challenges

2min

Reimagining Democracy: A Call for Change

13min

Decades of trickle-down thinking hollowed out our government—and now the anti-democracy crowd is finishing the job. This week, legal scholar and former Biden advisor K. Sabeel Rahman joins Nick and Goldy to talk about what happens when the rule of law becomes optional, what the Biden administration got right (and what it didn’t,) and why simply restoring the old system isn’t enough. If we want a real democracy—one that can stand up to corporate power and actually deliver for people—we need to stop playing by outdated rules and start constructing a government that's faster, fairer, and fit for the modern world.

K. Sabeel Rahman is a legal scholar, policy expert, and former senior advisor in the Biden administration, where he served as Associate Administrator at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. A leading voice on democracy, governance, and economic justice, he is Demos's former president and a law professor at Cornell University.

Social Media:

⁠@ksabeelrahman.bsky.social⁠

⁠@ksabeelrahman⁠