03 August 2010
What Counts in a Democracy
It’s not how votes are counted that matters in a representative democracy as much as how citizens’ preferences are formed. Anthony Gottlieb’s review, “Win or Lose,” (in the July 26, 2010, New Yorker) and William Poundstone’s book, “Gaming the Vote,” both appear to miss the point.
Participants in an electoral democracy like the U.S.A. have lost control of their political decisions. The reason is probably mainly because of intellectual laziness. The technologies of persuasion have become so effective that voters’ opinions are easily manipulated when sufficient resources are devoted to media strategies. The result is that comparative reports of campaign fund-raising are more accurate predictors of election outcomes than opinion polls.
And where do those funds come from? The sources are the beneficiaries of government largesse--contractors and service providers for public sector programs. After all, what do democratic representatives do better than distribute tax revenue?
It’s not how votes are counted that matters in a representative democracy as much as how citizens’ preferences are formed. Anthony Gottlieb’s review, “Win or Lose,” (in the July 26, 2010, New Yorker) and William Poundstone’s book, “Gaming the Vote,” both appear to miss the point.
Participants in an electoral democracy like the U.S.A. have lost control of their political decisions. The reason is probably mainly because of intellectual laziness. The technologies of persuasion have become so effective that voters’ opinions are easily manipulated when sufficient resources are devoted to media strategies. The result is that comparative reports of campaign fund-raising are more accurate predictors of election outcomes than opinion polls.
And where do those funds come from? The sources are the beneficiaries of government largesse--contractors and service providers for public sector programs. After all, what do democratic representatives do better than distribute tax revenue?
Comments:
Post a Comment
