Jacob Grumbach

Digging a Hole: The Legal Theory Podcast

This week we have Jacob Grumbach on the pod! Jake is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Washington and the producer of fantastic Twitter content @JakeMGrumbach. His new book Laboratories against Democracy discusses the causes and consequences of the nationalization of state politics.

To begin, Jake walks us through the three consequences. First, national partisan and activist groups have nationalized state politics and transformed state governments. Second, this has made policy more varied across states depending on which political party has control in a state. Third, national groups have used state government to suppress the vote, gerrymander, and erode the foundations of democracy. We also dive into the formation and implications of Jake’s State Democracy Index.

Going beyond the book, we discuss some of our favorite topics. Sam asks for the comparative angle – is nationalization occurring across federal systems worldwide and is nationalization inevitable? David asks about progressive federalism and if state politics is a viable path for liberals seeking national reform. Lastly, we dive into potential solutions to the negative consequences of nationalization of state politics. Should we just abolish states?

This is a really fun episode and we think you'll enjoy it as much as we did!

Referenced Readings

• Laboratories against Democracy, by Jacob Grumbach
• “Laboratories of Democratic Backsliding,” by Jacob Grumbach
• “Policy Preferences and Policy Change: Dynamic Responsiveness in the American States, 1936-2014,” by Devin Caughey and Christopher Warshaw
• “It’s No Longer the Economy, Stupid: Selective Perception and Attribution of Economic Outcomes,” by Sean Freeder
• The Increasingly United States, by Daniel J. Hopkins
• Accountability in American Legislatures, by Steven Rodgers
• “The Political Economies of Red States,” by Jacob Grumbach, Jacob Hacker, and Paul Pierson
• “Why Has Regional Income Convergence in the U.S. Declined?,” by Peter Ganong and Daniel W. Shoag