•  21
    Exploitation and Rational Choice
    Canadian Journal of Political Science 44 (3). 2011.
    Critics fault rational choice theory for dubious assumptions and limited explanatory power. The aims of rational choice are, however, as much normative as explanatory, and I argue that an abiding concern of political thought—the wrong of exploitation—gives moral weight to some of the more substantive assumptions underlying many rational choice prescriptions.
  •  41
    Concepts, Conceptions, and Principles of Justice
    Socialist Studies 8 (1): 164-172. 2012.
    G.A. Cohen argues that Rawlsian constructivism mistakenly conflates principles of justice with optimal rules of regulation, a confusion that arises out of how Rawls has us think about justice. I use the concepts/conceptions distinction to argue that while citizens may reasonably disagree about the substance and demands of justice, some principled convergence may be possible: we can agree upon regulative principles …Read more
  •  41
    Global cities, global justice?
    Journal of Global Ethics 14 (3): 332-352. 2018.
    The global city is a contested site of economic innovation and cultural production, as well as profound inequalities of wealth and life chances. These cities, and large cities that aspire to ‘global’ status, are often the point of entry for new immigrants. Yet for political theorists (and indeed many scholars of global institutions), these critical sites of global influence and inequality have not been a significant focus of attention. This is curious. Theorists have wrestled with the nature and…Read more
  •  101
    The Federal Structure of a Republic of Reasons
    Political Theory 33 (5): 629-653. 2005.
    Following Rawls, many political liberals hold reasonableness in high regard. Reasonable citizens can disagree, however, and some may find their arguments routinely ignored in elections and legislatures. Should we be troubled by such failures of institutional responsiveness as a matter of justice? The author argues that the expectation of such failures would lead parties in an original position to favor certain classes of institutions over others: A Theory of Justice and Political Liberalism toge…Read more
  •  36
    Democracy and city life
    Politics, Philosophy and Economics 3 (1): 97-124. 2004.
    I evaluate the claim that modern urban regions are desirable sites for inclusive forms of democratic governance. Although certain features of city life do hold such promise, I argue that these same features coincide with exclusionary attitudes and activities that undermine democratic hopes. I then clarify the necessary conditions for more inclusive urban democracy, distinguishing my account from prominent criticisms of suburban culture and urban sprawl advanced by, among others, advocates of the…Read more
  •  316
    Hopeful Losers? A Moral Case for Mixed Electoral Systems
    Les ateliers de l'éthique/The Ethics Forum 10 (2): 107-121. 2015.
    Liberal democracies encourage citizen participation and protect our freedoms, yet these regimes elect politicians and decide important issues with electoral and legislative systems that are less inclusive than other arrangements. Some citizens inevitably have more influence than others. Is this a problem? Yes, because similarly just but more inclusive systems are possible. Political theorists and philosophers should be arguing for particular institutional forms, with particular geographies, cons…Read more
  •  796
    Identifying Difference, Engaging Dissent: What is at Stake in Democratizing Knowledge?
    with B. Morgan-Olsen and J. Wong
    Foundations of Science 21 (1): 69-88. 2016.
    Several prominent voices have called for a democratization of science through deliberative processes that include a diverse range of perspectives and values. We bring these scholars into conversation with extant research on democratic deliberation in political theory and the social sciences. In doing so, we identify systematic barriers to the effectiveness of inclusive deliberation in both scientific and political settings. We are particularly interested in what we call misidentified dissent, wh…Read more
  •  16
    Liberal Citizenship: Medieval Cities as Model and Metaphor
    Space and Polity 14 (2): 123-142. 2010.
    In a recent article in Space & Polity, Nezar AlSayyad and Ananya Roy draw suggestive analogies between medieval urban forms and troubling contemporary realities, such as gated urban enclaves and impoverished squatter settlements. Invoking the medieval city as an analytical device, they show how several prevalent urban practices of citizenship are in tension with, and sometimes flatly contradict, liberal complacencies and democratic hopes. However, this article suggests that there is another stor…Read more