Stealth Democracy: Americans' Beliefs About How Government Should WorkAmericans often complain about the operation of their government, but scholars have never developed a complete picture of people s preferred type of government. In this provocative and timely book, Hibbing and Theiss-Morse, employing an original national survey and focus groups, report the governmental procedures Americans desire. Contrary to the prevailing view that people want greater involvement in politics, most citizens do not care about most policies and therefore are content to turn over decision-making authority to someone else. People s wish for the political system is that decision makers be empathetic and, especially, non-self-interested, not that they be responsive and accountable to the people s largely nonexistent policy preferences or, even worse, that the people be obligated to participate directly in decision making. Hibbing and Theiss-Morse conclude by cautioning communitarians, direct democrats, social capitalists, deliberation theorists, and all those who think that greater citizen involvement is the solution to society s problems. |
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Stealth Democracy: Americans' Beliefs About How Government Should Work John R. Hibbing,Elizabeth Theiss-Morse No preview available - 2002 |
Stealth Democracy: Americans' Beliefs About How Government Should Work John R. Hibbing,Elizabeth Theiss-Morse No preview available - 2002 |
Common terms and phrases
American Political Science approval ballot believe better campaign campaign finance reform candidates Chapter citizens claim communitarians concerns conflict consensus debate and compromise decision makers deliberation deliberative deliberative democracy Deliberative opinion polls Democratic Processes Survey desire direct democracy disagree dissatisfaction elected officials empirical ernment evidence favor federal government feel Fiorina focus group frustration Gallup Organization governmental processes Hibbing important influence institutions interest groups involved in politics less liberal major ment negative participatory perceived percent person policy positions policy preferences policy space political decisions political parties political process Political Science Political Science Review political system politicians popular populist problem procedures process preferences process space public opinion reforms representative representative democracy Republican respondents Ross Perot self-serving social capital special interests stealth democracy Strongly agree term limits Theiss-Morse theorists things tion town meetings trust variables voluntary associations voters