Written in a provocative, jargon-free style ideal for stimulating classroom discussion, America's Failing Experiment directly challenges would-be reformers who believe the solution to our current political paralysis is more democracy. Kirby Goidel finds that the fault for our contemporary political dysfunction resides not with our elected officials but with our democratic citizenries. He argues that our elected officials are overly responsive to public opinion which is often poorly informed, incoherent, and uncertain. The result is a more polarized political system, rising inequality, and institutional gridlock. Though not new, these concerns take on deeper political significance in a digital age where information flows more quickly and opportunities for feedback are virtually unlimited. If the diagnosis is too much democracy, the counterintuitive solution runs against our cultural norms-less citizen involvement, greater discretion for political elites, and greater collective responsibility.

Auteur
Kirby Goidel is the Scripps Howard Professor of Mass Communication, and former Director of the Public Policy Research Lab at Louisiana State University and a co-editor of the journal Survey Practice, sponsored by the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR).

Contenu

Introduction: We Are the Problem

Chapter 1: Constitutional Design and Democracy

Chapter 2: Political Psychology and Democratic Competence

Chapter 3: Political Inequality and Campaign Finance

Chapter 4: The News Media, New Media, and Democracy

Chapter 5: Gridlock and American Political Institutions

Chapter 6: Do No Harm

Chapter 7: America's Recovery Plan