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Ted Lechterman

Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University

Since September 2016 I am a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, splitting my time between the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society and the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society. I received my Ph.D. in political theory from the Department of Politics at Princeton University in 2016. Born and raised north of New York City, I earned an A.B. in Government from Harvard College in 2008 and worked briefly in social advocacy before returning to academia.

I am currently working on a book manuscript on the relationship between philanthropy, as a social practice, and democracy, as a moral ideal. Philanthropy and democracy both provide mechanisms for shaping social outcomes, but in markedly different ways. Philanthropy confers social decision-making power on the basis of individual initiative and level of wealth. Democracy requires that social outcomes issue from collective decision-making processes that abstract from differences in wealth. Philanthropy and democracy would thus appear to be odd bed fellows in a political society. The book argues that in certain areas philanthropy can in fact be a more serious threat to the democratic ideal than we generally realize, while in others it can actually work to support democratic principles. These conclusions carry unique implications for both public policy and individual behavior.

Other research interests of mine include the relationship between property and democratic theory more broadly, and, at a more abstract level, the relevance of existing practices to normative theory-building.

Could AI replace politicians? A philosopher maps out three possible futures

Jan 14, 2025 05:55 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

From business and public administration to daily life, artificial intelligence is reshaping the world and politics may be next. While the idea of AI politicians might make some people uneasy, survey results tell a...

What Jeff Bezos gets wrong (and right) with his populist philanthropy

Jun 27, 2017 02:47 am UTC| Insights & Views Life

Jeff Bezos, the worlds second-richest person, trails his peers when it comes to generosity. His familys donations to hospitals, museums and universities rarely make headlines, and he hasnt signed the Giving Pledge, a...

Economy

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Slams JPMorgan Report on Gulf Oil Insurance as ‘Completely Irresponsible’

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sharply criticized JPMorgan Chase Co. (NYSE: JPM) on Friday, calling the banks recent analysis of a government-backed oil tanker insurance program terrible and completely...

China Aims to Maintain Stable Employment Amid AI Growth and Labor Market Challenges

China remains confident it can maintain stable employment and sustain positive economic momentum over the next five years, even as global uncertainties and the rapid development of artificial intelligence reshape the labor...

Japan Seeks U.S. Tariff Exemption as Trade Tensions Lift USD/JPY

Japan has formally asked the United States for assurances that its exports will not be negatively affected by Washingtons latest tariff plans, as Tokyo works to preserve the favorable conditions secured in last years...

Fed May Tighten Policy if Inflation Stalls Despite Weak Labor Market

Cleveland Federal Reserve President Beth Hammack signaled that the U.S. central bank may consider tighter monetary policy later in 2026 if progress on inflation slows, even as signs of a cooling labor market complicate the...

Oil Prices Surge as Middle East Conflict Disrupts Global Supply

Global oil prices jumped sharply on Friday as escalating tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran triggered significant disruptions in worldwide energy supply. U.S. crude futures recorded a dramatic rise, with...

Politics

Trump Demands Iran’s “Unconditional Surrender” as Israel-Iran War Intensifies Across Middle East

The escalating Iran-Israel war entered its second week Saturday as tensions surged across the Middle East and uncertainty grew over how the conflict might end. U.S. President Donald Trump declared he would only accept...

Ukraine and Russia Exchange 1,000 POWs as Zelenskiy Visits Eastern Front

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Ukraines eastern front line on Friday while Ukraine and Russia completed a major prisoner-of-war exchange involving 1,000 soldiers. The two countries swapped 500 prisoners...

Race Begins for Next UN Secretary-General Ahead of 2027 Term

The process to elect the next United Nations Secretary-General has officially begun, with the new leader set to start a five-year term on January 1, 2027. The selection process for the successor to current UN chief Antonio...

Trump Plans New Executive Order to Address Rising NIL Costs in College Sports

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that the rapidly increasing costs associated with college football programs are harming collegiate athletics overall and pledged to introduce a new executive order within the next...

ICE Arrests Colombian Journalist in Tennessee, Trump Administration Says She Will Receive Due Process

Federal immigration agents arrested a Colombian journalist working for a Spanish-language news outlet in Tennessee, drawing attention to immigration enforcement practices under President Donald Trumps administration....

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

Nvidia Sets $4M CEO Bonus Target for Fiscal 2027 as AI Demand Drives Revenue Growth

NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) has introduced a new variable compensation plan for fiscal 2027 that ties executive bonuses directly to revenue performance, according to a recent regulatory filing. Under the updated...

Trump Administration Proposes Tough AI Contract Rules as Anthropic Blacklisted by Pentagon

The Trump administration has introduced sweeping new guidelines for civilian artificial intelligence contracts that could significantly reshape how AI companies work with the U.S. government. According to reports, the...

SoftBank Seeks Up to $40 Billion Loan to Fund Major Investment in OpenAI

SoftBank is reportedly pursuing a loan of up to $40 billion to support a large investment in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. According to a Bloomberg News reporter who shared the update on X (formerly Twitter) on...

Foxconn Sees Strong Growth Ahead Despite Limited Impact From U.S.–Israel–Iran Tensions

Foxconn, the worlds largest electronics manufacturer and a major supplier of AI servers for Nvidia, says geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran are having only a limited impact on its...

California Court Rejects xAI Bid to Block AI Data Transparency Law

Title: Elon Musks artificial intelligence company xAI has failed to secure a temporary court order that would block Californias new AI data transparency law. A federal judge in California ruled that the company did not...