Lately, I’ve not had a lot of time to read. But when I have had time, I’ve enjoyed reading the wonkish and pointed “The Myth of the Rational Voter” by Bryan Caplan. It’s an economist’s look at why, as the sub-title says, voters tend to support bad public policies. The reason, Caplan argues, is not […]
Reading right now: “The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies.”
August 4, 2011 by
Deliberative Democracy: A Way to Increase Civic Participation
April 25, 2011 by
The Problem: Dropping Civic Participation We live in a democracy that faces decreasing participation on a dramatic scale. In many respects, because of our republican form of government, the only real opportunity we have to engage in public decision-making is during periodic elections. With so little control and distanced from the decision-making process, from […]
Utah Legislature Watch: Debate over ‘Democracy’ or ‘Republic?’
February 16, 2011 by
Worth it or not, it’s an interesting discussion…for political scientists. Just kidding. But really: I do think it is an interesting discussion, and I do think it ought to be taught right in our schools. But should Utah legislators be getting their panties in a bunch over it? I’m dubious. They aren’t the most educated […]
Give Iowa a try…
August 30, 2010 by
Image via Wikipedia Iowa judges are under attack for unpopular rulings that have permitted gay marriage in their state. Unhappy about the rulings, and displeased that so few could overturn the will of the people, activists are looking to check the power of the judges by way of the ballot box. From the Wall Street […]
Democracy and Judiciary: at odds over Proposition 8
August 17, 2010 by
Image by riacale via Flickr One of the interesting points about American government is the balance in the federal constitution between democratic and non-democratic institutions. It is, as was intended, a series of checks and balances on the power of too much democracy. The Congress, the most democratic of the countries institutions at the federal […]
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