The Best and Worst Oligarchies

DIA-Today: Democracy in America Today

English - April 09, 2022 11:46 - 30 minutes - 30.6 MB
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We discuss Aristotle’s account of the best and worst oligarchies and the progressive development of the American national government.

Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.

Opening and closing music from the beginning and end of “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.

Opening (0:52) - We discuss the start of the baseball season and another round of terrible NCAA tournament picks.

Required Reading (4:15) - We reflect on Book VI, chapter 6-8 of The Politics, where Aristotle discusses the best and worst forms of oligarchy and the essential offices of government. Links: Aristotle, The Politics.

Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (20:38) - We make our preseason baseball picks (AL champion, NL champion, World Series champion, and the total wins for the Braves and Red Sox) and discuss our upcoming fantasy baseball draft.

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Matt Parks is the Interim Provost and an Associate Professor of Politics at The King’s College in New York City. David Corbin is Head of School at the Geneva School of Boerne, Texas. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker.