ABSTRACT
The concluding chapter considers how the continuing democratic crisis encourages democratic skeptics and puts democratic optimists in a defensive position. Since my book refuses to fully endorse either of these camps, it searches for the middle road between pessimism and optimism that acknowledges the challenge of political irrationality but retains faith in citizens’ potential to make high-quality political choices. I summarize how the argument of the book uses the insight from mechanism design with its emphasis on incentives, from behavioral science that sheds light on the quirks and imperfections of human mind, and from democratic theory that offers audacious visions for institutional reform. All these themes are combined in my proposal for an Anti-Psychological State. Finally, I address the conditions under which a radical democratic reform along the lines of the Anti-Psychological State is desirable and assess its feasibility. Since the prospects of its implementation remain in a nascent phase, I conclude with a plea to benevolent practical people in the positions of power—philanthropists, businesspeople, and policymakers—to seek ways to salvage and rejuvenate democracy in the times of need.
