Princeton University

Specialization: Interests include democratic theory and constitutionalism; international political theory; moral philosophy; the thought of Aristotle, Hobbes, Kant, and the Federalists; constitutional law; election law; antidiscrimination law; and administrative law.

James Lindley Wilson won a Princeton University Center for Human Values Graduate Prize Fellowship for 2008-09. Jim also won the Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni Excellence in Teaching Award in 2008, his first year teaching at Princeton.

J.D., Yale Law School (2007); M.A., Politics, Princeton (2005); A.B., summa cum laude in Social Studies, Harvard University (2002).

Thesis Title: Finding Time for Democracy: A Theory of Political Equality

Committee: Charles Beitz; Philip Pettit; Stephen Macedo

Abstract: The dissertation aims to develop a theory of political equality: a theory explaining which constitutional arrangements are compatible with the democratic ideal of equal rule by all citizens. I suggest that this ideal requires attention to the maintenance of equal rule over time, rather than merely equal sharing in rule at individual moments. This diachronic perspective, I argue, is critical to a proper understanding what the commitment to equal rule actually requires of political institutions. With this understanding in hand, we can gain insight into a number of issues in democratic theory, including the nature and aim of representation and deliberation, the justification of judicial review, and the fair design of electoral systems.

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Link to: Personal Web site

Link to: Curriculum Vitae