Formal Models of Democracy

The Erasmus Institute for Philosophy and Economics (Erasmus School of Philosophy, Erasmus University of Rotterdam) and the OZSW study group on Social Choice and Group Dynamics are organising a graduate conference on Formal Models of Democracy, featuring contributed talks by junior scholars and tutorials by Hélène Landemore (Yale University) and Ulle Endriss (University of Amsterdam).

Theme of the workshop:

Formal modelling (decision theory, game theory, social choice theory, agent-based models, formal epistemology) has been and continues to be an important source of insight for political philosophy in general, and democratic theory in particular. Scholars such as David Miller, John Dryzek, and Christian List have argued that democratic deliberation can provide an escape route from Arrovian impossibility results, so that the latter actually motivate, rather than undermine the former. Likewise, Hélène Landemore has drawn on mathematical theorems and agent-based models to argue against epistocracy and representative democracy, and in favour of a lottocratic, deliberative political system. Sean Ingham has similarly argued for the relevance of preference cycles for democratic theory, and introduced a counterfactual account of popular control (using tools from game theory) that can cope with such cycles.

The aim of this graduate workshop is to bring together junior scholars working on formal models and the normative theory of democracy.

Practical Information:

If the pandemic situation does not worsen significantly, the workshop will take place in person at Erasmus University of Rotterdam. In the other case, we will move it to Zoom. If the workshop takes place on campus we will look into the option of having hybrid sessions and/or contributions via video lectures for those who cannot attend on campus.

Information about how to register and a more detalied schedule will follow.

Funding & organization:

This event is organized at the Erasmus Institute for Philosophy and Economics (Erasmus School of Philosophy, Erasmus University of Rotterdam) by Frederik Van De Putte (EUR), Erica Yu (EUR), Måns Abrahamson (EUR), and Marina Uzunova (Free University of Amsterdam). It is supported by the NWO-funded ENCODE-project (VI.Vidi.191.105). It is also the second workshop organized by the OZSW study group on Social Choice and Group Dynamics.