Insulting Political Officials: A Reflection on $%!7 Power Dynamics

Would you enjoy nicknaming a politician something vulgar?

In medieval Venice, the Doge and other political officials were not exempt from being insulted by the public. The use of derogatory names such as "Shit" and "Fart" was a reflection of the tension between the ruling elite and the rest of society. As Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson explain in their book "The Narrow Corridor," this practice is an exam…