About this Event
📍 Location: Exact address given in confirmation email
🧠 Lecture: "The Possibility of Democracy: A Mathematical Argument"
🎤 Speaker: Ismar Volić
If you feel like your role in democracy begins and ends with casting a ballot, you’re not alone. In this timely and thought-provoking talk, Professor Ismar Volić argues that mathematics can show us a better way. Building on the 18th-century Condorcet Jury Theorem and modern social choice theory, he will explore how democracies function best when citizens participate directly in collective decision-making and deliberation.
You’ll learn how democratic innovations such as citizens’ assemblies and participatory budgeting can strengthen representation, improve policy outcomes, and rebuild public trust in politics. Professor Volić will also discuss how emerging digital tools—including artificial intelligence and algorithmic design—might help scale these forms of participation for the 21st century.
Ismar Volić is a Professor of Mathematics and Director of the Institute for Mathematics and Democracy at Wellesley College. Author of numerous articles and books, including the prize-winning Making Democracy Count, he has delivered hundreds of lectures worldwide and has written for outlets such as The Hill, TIME, and LitHub.
Get a drink, connect, and learn at Lectures on Tap! 🙌
Agenda
6:30 PM – Doors open: find a seat (open seating!), order food & drinks, and expect a bar line—arriving early is key.
6:55 PM – Host introduction
7:00 PM – Lecture begins
7:45 PM – Audience Q&A
8:00 PM – Have 1:1 time with the speaker, mingle with fellow guests, and order another round
8:30 PM – Wrap up.
Event venue & nearby stays
Downtown Boston, Downtown Boston, Boston, United States
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