Starcast Join the waitlist
Entitled

Entitled

What If Kings Are Good for Democracy?

Jul 18, 2025 · 36m

Coming soon to iPhone. Already have it? “Listen in Starcast” takes you straight there.

On this episode

About this episode

What does it mean when people start calling Donald Trump a king? And why are some political theorists — on both the right and left — exploring the possibility of leaving democracy behind? All this debate got co-host Tom Ginsburg thinking about an argument he’s been turning over in his head for years: could constitutional monarchy actually be the best form of government? Is it possible that constitutional monarchy actually strengthens democracy? Do monarchs serve as symbols of national unity that modern republics are missing? And is America’s obsession with political dynasties — the Obamas, the Bushes, the Kennedys — actually more monarchical than we’d like to admit? This wide-ranging…