Ideas that Change Democracy

Democracy is not a fixed endpoint, but a fragile balance constantly challenged by new ideas. Some aim to justify hierarchical systems, others push toward egalitarianism: two visions that, according to scholar James Robinson, have guided the historical oscillation of social models.

It will be James Robinson himself, economist and political scientist at the University of Chicago, who delivers the Dondena Lecture 2025 on September 22 at Bocconi University. This will be a unique opportunity to hear from one of today’s most influential thinkers and 2024 Nobel Laureate in Economics together with Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson for demonstrating how political and economic institutions can drive either prosperity or stagnation.

After the welcome address by Rector Francesco Billari, Robinson will reflect on the role of ideas in shaping human societies. Beyond material forces such as economics or technology, he argues, it is ideational innovation that molds institutions and steers political development. “Liberal democracy,” Robinson emphasizes, “is a form of institutionalized egalitarianism, but it is not immune to new ideas that legitimize hierarchy.”

The Dondena Lecture is organized by the Dondena Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policy at Bocconi, founded with the aim of promoting interdisciplinary studies on key issues such as population, social policies, health, inequality, and institutions. Over the years, the center has become an international reference point, building bridges between academic research and public debate.