Game of Thrones and Political Legitimacy

Social Science Fiction

English - December 04, 2020 00:42 - 34 minutes - 35.6 MB
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A discussion of political legitimacy in A Song of Ice and Fire and the Game of Thrones tv series. How do different regimes legitimize their rule? Why is it dangerous to share power with a religious establishment? The theories of Max Weber and Mancur Olson are featured.

Notes:

2:45 - Max Weber is a big name in political science. His Essay, Politics as a Vocation, discusses political legitimacy among other topics.

5:04 - I suppose the Arryns are in the mix there too. They always seem to be overlooked.

6:13 - Varys, Jaime Lannister, and Barristan Selmy all continue in their positions under the new regime.

8:12 - Mancur Olson was also an accomplished economist (that's what his degrees were in). For his views on the origins of government, see Dictatorship, Democracy, and Development.

21:57 - Wakanda forever!

24:54 - No pun intended ("stark difference).

26:16 Side Rant.

Intro and outro music: "Swim below as Leviathans" by Fireproof_Babies (featuring Ben Shewmaker) is licensed under CC BY.