New Books in Critical Theory Natasha Piano, "Democratic Elitism: The Founding Myth of American Political Science" (Harvard UP, 2025)
Nov 1, 2025
Natasha Piano, an Assistant Professor of Political Theory at UCLA and a historian of political thought, discusses her new book, 'Democratic Elitism.' She challenges the traditional view that equates democracy solely with elections, highlighting critiques from the Italian School of Elitism. Piano explains how thinkers like Pareto and Mosca warned against the pitfalls of competitive elections leading to disillusionment. She advocates for a broader understanding of democracy that values good governance and counters the threats of plutocracy and demagoguery.
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Democracy Is More Than Elections
- The Italian School saw democracy as more than just competitive elections and warned that equating the two creates unrealistic expectations.
- They argued that elections alone enable plutocratic capture and demagogues to erode liberal norms, so democratic institutions beyond ballots are essential.
Pareto: Elections Can Hide Plutocracy
- Pareto warned that electoral systems structurally facilitate elite alliances and plutocratic corruption, undermining public faith in government.
- He urged designing democratic constraints on representative institutions to prevent plutocratic capture.
Elite Circulation As A Renewing River
- Pareto's 'circulation of elites' likens elite turnover to a river that must renew itself from majoritarian sources to remain legitimate.
- Elite responsiveness to popular needs prevents blockage and regime breakdown.
