Albert O. Hirschman made a series of invaluable contributions to the social sciences - not just in economic and political theory, but also in area studies and comparative history, always with a “bias for hope” in favour of constructive policies of reform. On February 14 2024 an international workshop explored Hirschman’s seminal insights and how they enable to grasp specific contemporary research and policy issues (see more in The Vibrant legacy of Albert O. Hirschman) Santiago Gerchunoff took part in the event with a presentation on the Hirschman's analysis of the historical problem of the inexpressiveness of the vote and its relationship with the apparent cyclical crises of public action. In this new episode of Research at the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy (RAHCD) host Yanina Welp and Gerchunoff speak about Santiago’s personal encounter with the Hirchman legacy. Santiago Gerchunoff teaches Political Theory at Madrid Carlos III University and specializes in the study of historical mutations in the public sphere He is the editor of the latest Spanish version of The Rhetoric of Reaction; and is preparing a new Spanish edition of Shifting Involvements.