Democracy More Or Less: America's Political Reform Quandary (cambridge Studies In Election Law And Democracy)
by Bruce Cain /
2014 / English / Kindle, EPUB
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Why do American political reform efforts so often fail to solve the
problems they intend to fix? In this book, Bruce E. Cain argues
that the reasons are an unrealistic civic ideal of a fully informed
and engaged citizenry and a neglect of basic pluralist principles
about political intermediaries. This book traces the tension
between populist and pluralist approaches as it plays out in many
seemingly distinct reform topics, such as voting administration,
campaign finance, excessive partisanship, redistricting, and
transparency and voter participation. It explains why political
primaries have promoted partisan polarization, why voting rates are
declining even as election opportunities increase, and why direct
democracy is not really a grassroots tool. Cain offers a reform
agenda that attempts to reconcile pluralist ideals with the
realities of collective-action problems and resource disparities.
Why do American political reform efforts so often fail to solve the
problems they intend to fix? In this book, Bruce E. Cain argues
that the reasons are an unrealistic civic ideal of a fully informed
and engaged citizenry and a neglect of basic pluralist principles
about political intermediaries. This book traces the tension
between populist and pluralist approaches as it plays out in many
seemingly distinct reform topics, such as voting administration,
campaign finance, excessive partisanship, redistricting, and
transparency and voter participation. It explains why political
primaries have promoted partisan polarization, why voting rates are
declining even as election opportunities increase, and why direct
democracy is not really a grassroots tool. Cain offers a reform
agenda that attempts to reconcile pluralist ideals with the
realities of collective-action problems and resource disparities.