Ben Ansell

From the 2023 Reith lecturer Politics is failing us. This is why. 'Brilliant . . . a must-read' Daron Acemoglu, co-author of Why Nations FailWhen it comes to politics, there are five goals that voters generally agree upon. We all want a say in how we're governed, to be treated equally, a safety net when times are hard, protection from harm and to be richer in the future. So, why does politics not deliver that?The problem is each of these five goals results in a political trap. For example, we all want a say in how we're governed, but it's impossible to have any true 'will of the people'. And we want to be richer tomorrow, but what makes us richer in the short run makes us poorer over the long haul.In Why Politics Fails, award-winning Oxford professor Ben Ansell draws on examples from Ancient Greece through Brexit to vividly illustrate how we can escape these traps, overcome self-interest and deliver on our collective goals. Politics seems to be broken, but this book shows how it can work for everyone.'A meticulous study of how different societies find it so difficult to achieve widely shared goals' Financial Times'Incisive and gripping' Daniel Ziblatt, co-author of How Democracies Die'Salutary reading for the world we live in now' James A. Robinson, co-author of Why Nations Fails

Cu les son las cinco fallas de la pol tica que nos impiden vivir en una sociedad m s justa, igualitaria, pr spera y sostenible Por qu la pol tica y sus actores siempre nos decepcionan? Por qu padecemos tal grado de desafecci n pol tica? Y si el problema no son los pol ticos sino nuestra disonancia cognitiva: Queremos vivir en democracia, pero la voluntad popular es un mito. Anhelamos la igualdad, siempre y cuando no sea nuestra riqueza la que est en juego. Abogamos por la solidaridad, m s cuando la recibimos que cuando la damos. Exigimos m s seguridad, pero no si limita nuestras libertades. Y queremos una econom a pr spera, pero lo que nos hace m s ricos a corto plazo, nos empobrece a largo plazo. Siempre se repite el mismo patr n: nuestro propio inter s perjudica nuestra capacidad para alcanzar objetivos colectivos. Bas ndose en ejemplos que abarcan desde la antigua Grecia hasta el Brexit el reputado profesor de la Universidad de Oxford demuestra c mo podemos aprender a vivir con nuestras contradicciones de forma que la pol tica vuelva a gozar del prestigio que atesor . ENGLISH DESCRIPTION What are the five failures of politics that prevent us from living in a more just, egalitarian, prosperous and sustainable society? Why do politics and its actors always disappoint us? Why do we suffer from such a degree of political disaffection? And if the problem is not politicians but our cognitive dissonance: We want to live in a democracy, but the popular will is a myth. We crave equality, as long as it's not our wealth that's at stake. We advocate solidarity, more when we receive it than when we give it. We demand more security, but not if it limits our freedoms. And we want a thriving economy, but what makes us richer in the short term, impoverishes us in the long run. The same pattern is always repeated: our self-interest hurts our ability to achieve collective goals. Drawing on examples ranging from ancient Greece to Brexit, the renowned Oxford University professor demonstrates how we can learn to live with our contradictions so that politics can once again enjoy the prestige it once held.

A leading political expert explains why systems fail to deliver things we all want--democracy, equality, solidarity, security and prosperity--and what can be done to create a just, equitable, and environmentally sane society. The dawn of the twenty-first century had the promise of a golden age. The economy was stable and growing, social peace seemed possible, and technology appeared benign. The past years have awakened us from this complacency. We have long known what needs to be done to save the world from climate disaster. Why do we continue on the path of self-destruction? The immense wealth of the United States should make poverty a historical curiosity. Why is income inequality growing and the scourge of poverty increasing? The vast majority of people around the world want to live in a society with democratic values. Why is democracy receding? Why is it so hard to get - and keep - the world we want? Ben Ansell, one of the world's leading experts on the dilemmas facing modern democracies, vividly illustrates how our collective goals - democracy, equality, solidarity, security, and prosperity - are undermined by political traps and why today's political landscape is so tumultuous. We want equality, but we are loathe to give away our own wealth. We want solidarity but we are much better at receiving it than offering it. We want security but not if it constrains our freedom. And we want to end the climate crisis but we also want a prosperous economy. In every case, we want a collective goal, but are undermined by our individual actions. Our aims are altruistic, our actions governed by self-interest. Ansell then comes full circle and through brilliant storytelling and pathbreaking research vividly illustrates how we maneuver through the traps of the messy, complicated world of politics that block common sense solutions to the just, equitable, prosperous, and environmentally sane society we all want.