A01=Benjamin Darr
Author_Benjamin Darr
Category=JHBS
Category=JPH
Category=JPHF
Category=JPWC
Category=SC
elections
eq_bestseller
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_new_release
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_society-politics
eq_sports-fitness
fandom
fans
gamification
median voter
politics
quantification
rationalization
spectator sports
sports
strategic voting
strategy
tactical voting
Product details
- ISBN 9781803419923
- Dimensions: 140 x 216mm
- Publication Date: 28 Apr 2026
- Publisher: Collective Ink
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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Horse races. Slam dunks. The ground game. Sports metaphors are ubiquitous in American politics. In this book, Benjamin Darr catalogs and critiques the various ways that sports shape our popular perceptions of politics and elections, leading to misunderstandings, misconceptions, and mistakes in our expectations for democracy and how it should function. Seeing politics as a sport ultimately generates a warped conception of democracy which overlooks the people and glorifies elites. This happens via two broad paths. First, the role of the citizen is replaced by the fan, whose job is not to act in the common good, or even in one�s own interests, but to cheer from the stands for one�s favorite elite team. A second danger arises from an excessive focus on the strategy of the game of politics. This not only provides politicians with cover for broken promises�but also points us to technical experts who tell us exactly how we should play the game, leading us toward micromanaged technocracy rather than democratic accountability. In these ways, thinking of politics as a sport often points us away from the ideals of democracy and instead toward the optimization of elite power.
Ben Darr is Associate Professor of Politics at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. He teaches a variety of college courses, with an emphasis on global politics. He lives in Dubuque, IA.
