Podcasts · Democracy Paradox

Russell Muirhead Warns Ungoverning Threatens Democracy

24 Dec 2025 · 51 min · S2 E8

The heart of ungoverning is going after expertise - eradicating expertise - and replacing it with the power of the great ruler.

Russ Muirhead

Russell Muirhead is the Robert Clements Professor of Democracy and Politics and the co-director of the Political Economy Project at Dartmouth University. He's also the co-author, with Nancy Rosenblum, of Ungoverning: The Attack on the Administrative State and the Politics of Chaos.

Patrick McQuestion joins to help introduce the episode. Patrick is a PhD student in his fourth year at the University of Notre Dame studying political science and peace studies, and also the co-host of the Global Stage Podcast.

The Democracy Paradox is made in partnership with the Kellogg Institute of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame.

Read the full transcript here.

Key Highlights

• Introduction - 0:20 • What is Ungoverning? 9:00 • The Fourth Branch - 32:29 • Other Examples of Ungoverning 36:28 • Ungoverning and Democracy - 46:59

Links:

Learn more about Russell Muirhead

Learn more about his book Ungoverning: The Attack on the Administrative State and the Politics of Chaos

Learn more about Patrick McQuestion

Learn more about the Kellogg Institute.

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Links in the notes 7

• https://kellogg.nd.edu/
• https://keough.nd.edu/
• https://wp.me/pavhaU-2QP
• https://faculty-directory.dartmouth.edu/russell-muirhead
• https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691250526/ungoverning?srsltid=AfmBOoqMy4bJoeO4WTxFbLlGvXW67yn0hav4QFneefctM7P37uOn536D
• https://kellogg.nd.edu/patrick-mcquestion
• https://www.patreon.com/demparadox