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We’ve been wanting to have political theorist, writer, and podcaster Yascha Mounk on the show for a while now, and the wait was so worth it: his new book, The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure, is not only timely, it’s quite Uncertain Thingsy. He explains the three main ways that diverse democracies fall apart — and to what extent the U.S. is already under their influence. Plus, we dunk on elites, bemoan our political status quo, and ask: could oppression be good for us?
Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Check out our ‘Inscrutable’ newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.
On the agenda:
- Intro to Yascha [0:00-9:56]
- Shout out to IRL pod encounters [9:57-11:38]
- Humans: Naturally predisposed to difference [11:39-25:50]
- How to Make Diverse Democracies Work [25:51-33:12]
- The Problem of Fragmentation [33:13-45:29]
- The Danger of Elites [45:30-54:30]
- The Gerrymandering Arms Race [54:31-1:01:51]
- The Secret Sauce of Oppression [1:01:52-1:19:41]
- On Patriotism & Blindspots [1:19:42-1:25:18]
Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com.
 By Uncertain Things
By Uncertain Things4.5
167167 ratings
We’ve been wanting to have political theorist, writer, and podcaster Yascha Mounk on the show for a while now, and the wait was so worth it: his new book, The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure, is not only timely, it’s quite Uncertain Thingsy. He explains the three main ways that diverse democracies fall apart — and to what extent the U.S. is already under their influence. Plus, we dunk on elites, bemoan our political status quo, and ask: could oppression be good for us?
Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, and Stitcher. Check out our ‘Inscrutable’ newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice.
On the agenda:
- Intro to Yascha [0:00-9:56]
- Shout out to IRL pod encounters [9:57-11:38]
- Humans: Naturally predisposed to difference [11:39-25:50]
- How to Make Diverse Democracies Work [25:51-33:12]
- The Problem of Fragmentation [33:13-45:29]
- The Danger of Elites [45:30-54:30]
- The Gerrymandering Arms Race [54:31-1:01:51]
- The Secret Sauce of Oppression [1:01:52-1:19:41]
- On Patriotism & Blindspots [1:19:42-1:25:18]
Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com.

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