Information and Democratic Processes. This item is unavailable.Information and Democratic Processes

The golden democratic tradition of an informed and involved electorate freely and rationally choosing its public officials seems to be at odds with American political reality. Thus the questions: On what basis do people vote and form opinions? How does the lack of information at the individual level affect system performance?

In this collection twenty-six distinguished political scientists discuss, debate, and define the relationship between information and the democracy it supposedly serves. The contributors address both the empirical and normative aspects of governing in the United States, employing psychological, sociological, and economic perspectives.

"Given that most citizens have little information about politics and equally little incentive to improve their political knowledge, can democracies nonetheless perform 'reasonably?' The reassuring, and in many ways nonobvious conclusion of this volume is: yes. Information and Democratic Processes is a masterpiece of originality and insight destined to have great impact upon many areas of political science. It will be read, cited, and used in classrooms everywhere." -- Gregory B. Markus, University of Michigan