Editorial Foreword
Chloe Ebert
In publishing the fifth edition of The Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Review, I find it inspiring to see the passion shared by undergraduate students globally on the subject of PPE. Given its topicality, I sincerely hope the field continues to gain traction in an increasingly complex world, both among this generation and for the benefit of generations to come.
As you read the articles selected for this edition, you will see a general theme developing, which may be best described as the functionality of governance in the contemporary United States. The shift in the trajectory of governance of the recent executive administration has left many people curious about how exactly the United States, as a representative democracy, does function and should function. I observed similar sentiments throughout many other submissions we received for this publication cycle. The articles in this volume are presented in a gradually narrowing scope.
The first article details the function of democratic governance in state-building outside of the United States. By examining the imposition of democracy on countries outside of the United States, it primes us to understand the functionality of democracy inside the United States. The second article delves into sortition as an alternative to our representative democracy, and how a lottocratic system can effectively function while keeping with principles of democracy and justice.
The third article narrows to focus on the role of corporate speech in American politics and its consequences in affecting perceptions of American democracy after the 2020 election. The fourth article provides a case study of the 2023 regional banking crisis, addressing how recent changes in federal banking regulation have exacerbated the lack of banking access for many American communities. This article concludes the edition by examining discontentment with governance in the United States through the lens of individual citizens.
Along with the insightful contributions of the authors, I am grateful for the passion of the undergraduate associate editors in bringing this publication to fruition. I would like to thank Dan Gibbs, Faculty Editor, and Michael Moehler, Director of the Kellogg Center, for their immense support throughout the selection, editing, and publication processes. Their appreciation for the field of PPE is clear, and I value their guidance.
Disenchantment with modern governance systems makes itself clear through the voices of these undergraduate students. Please take their analyses into consideration as we strive to adopt a more dynamic view of the future of American political governance.
Chloe Ebert
