Research Catalog

Democracy and political ignorance : why smaller government is smarter

Title
Democracy and political ignorance : why smaller government is smarter / Ilya Somin.
Author
Somin, Ilya
Publication
Stanford, California : Stanford Law Books, an imprint of Stanford University Press, [2013]

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StatusFormatAccessCall NumberItem Location
TextUse in library JFE 13-8232Schwarzman Building - Main Reading Room 315

Details

Description
x, 264 pages; 24 cm
Summary
One of the biggest problems with modern democracy is that most of the public is usually ignorant of politics and government. Often, many people understand that their votes are unlikely to change the outcome of an election and don't see the point in learning much about politics. This may be rational, but it creates a nation of people with little political knowledge and little ability to objectively evaluate what they do know. In Democracy and Political Ignorance, Ilya Somin mines the depths of ignorance in America and reveals the extent to which it is a major problem for democracy. Somin weighs various options for solving this problem, arguing that political ignorance is best mitigated and its effects lessened by decentralizing and limiting government. Somin provocatively argues that people make better decisions when they choose what to purchase in the market or which state or local government to live under, than when they vote at the ballot box, because they have stronger incentives to acquire relevant information and to use it wisely. -- Publisher website.
Subjects
Bibliography (note)
  • Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents
The extent of political ignorance -- Do voters know enough? -- The rationality of political ignorance -- The shortcomings of shortcuts -- Foot voting vs. ballot box voting -- Political ignorance and judicial review -- Can voter knowledge be increased?
Call Number
JFE 13-8232
ISBN
  • 9780804786089 (cloth : alk. paper)
  • 0804786089 (cloth : alk. paper)
  • 9780804786614 (pbk. : alk. paper)
  • 0804786615 (pbk. : alk. paper)
LCCN
2013013483
OCLC
841187563
Author
Somin, Ilya, author.
Title
Democracy and political ignorance : why smaller government is smarter / Ilya Somin.
Publisher
Stanford, California : Stanford Law Books, an imprint of Stanford University Press, [2013]
Type of Content
text
Type of Medium
unmediated
Type of Carrier
volume
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Research Call Number
JFE 13-8232
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