#27 – Cass Sunstein: On Scaling Liberalism

#27 – Cass Sunstein: On Scaling Liberalism

From Scaling Theory by Thibault Schrepel

January 13, 2026 · 51 min

About this episode

Cass R. Sunstein discusses his book on liberalism and its challenges in contemporary society.

My guest today is Cass R. Sunstein , University Professor at Harvard and one of the most influential legal and political thinkers of our time. A prolific author of dozens of books and hundreds of academic articles, Cass has shaped debates in constitutional law, administrative law, behavioral economics, and public policy. He is regularly ranked amongst the very top of the most cited legal scholars alive. Cass also served as Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs under President Obama. He has advised governments and international organizations around the world, and was awarded the Holberg Prize, the equivalent of a Nobel in law and the humanities. His latest book, On Liberalism: In Defense of Freedom , is a systematic defense of the liberal tradition at a moment when it is, as he shows, under unprecedented pressure. Our conversation is centered around his book. We begin with the urgency at the heart of the book: how liberalism confronts critiques from moral conservatives and egalitarian progressives alike, what it means to defend the liberal framework in an era of fragmentation, etc. We then turn to questions of scaling: does liberalism have…

People in this episode

Host: Thibault Schrepel

Guest: Cass R. Sunstein

Topics covered

  • liberalism
  • constitutional law
  • administrative law
  • behavioral economics
  • public policy
  • scaling
  • diverse societies

Keywords

  • liberalism
  • constitutional law
  • behavioral economics
  • public policy
  • scaling
  • diversity
  • moral conservatives
  • egalitarian progressives

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Harvard, White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

Books & works: On Liberalism: In Defense of Freedom, Second Bill of Rights

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