Too dumb for Democracy?

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Poll: Are we too dumb for Democracy?
Hell no!
4%
 4%  [1]
You're darn tootin'!
17%
 17%  [4]
You kiss your momma with that mouth?
17%
 17%  [4]
Yeah, sure, whatever!
17%
 17%  [4]
Say what?
8%
 8%  [2]
Ain't this a republic?
4%
 4%  [1]
Get off my lawn!
30%
 30%  [7]
Total Votes : 23

Author Message
ButterThumbz
I always used to wonder if she wore false ears


Gender: Male
Age: 53
Location: O'er the hills and far away
United Kingdom

  • #31
  • Posted: 08/10/2013 09:20
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sp4cetiger wrote:
Well, those two guys are decided by primaries, where party-affiliated members of the general public can vote, so it's not as bad as that makes it sound. Also, candidates often change their positions in response to public sentiment. Recent platform shifts on immigration policy, due to the increasing fraction of Latino voters, are an example of that.

Of course, I would be a fool to say that the average American has as much sway as the wealthy and intellectual elite, so I would agree that we have elements of a plutocracy. That said, though, the correlation between money spent and the outcome of an election is not as strong some have suggested:

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.co...-o-p/?_r=0

It's also not clear to what extent correlation is implying causation. It stands to reason that candidates viewed as more electable and more organized are also going to raise a lot of money.

Honestly, I don't think the system is that bad, despite being less flexible than many European governments. There are a lot of powerful forces that are constantly at odds with one another -- the two parties, the media, corporate lobbies, and of course the masses. My biggest concern is with issues where the most powerful forces have a common interest in opposition to the people. Campaign finance reform is the most direct example -- most people would prefer that large corporations not have so much influence on the outcome of elections, but you won't hear many politicians championing that cause.

So do I think we're too stupid for a democracy? Yeah, but only for the idealist. Realistically, the public is not always going to pick the best candidate and I think most voting decisions are made based on frivolous judgements. However, the will of the masses provides an important check on those other powerful forces for when things get out of hand (see the 2008 financial crisis).

By the way, I'm all on board for your argument about improving educational systems. The more educated the average citizen is, the better the government will function. Lately, I think there needs to be particular emphasis on critical thinking, as the media has been having a field day playing off of people's emotions and partisan biases.


My flippant remarks are not worthy of such an insightful response. Thank you.
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