The Myth Of The Rational Voter

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The Myth of the Rational Voter

Author : Bryan Caplan
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 1400828821
Total Pages : 296 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (8 download)

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Book Synopsis The Myth of the Rational Voter by : Bryan Caplan

Download or read book The Myth of the Rational Voter written by Bryan Caplan and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2011-08-15 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The greatest obstacle to sound economic policy is not entrenched special interests or rampant lobbying, but the popular misconceptions, irrational beliefs, and personal biases held by ordinary voters. This is economist Bryan Caplan's sobering assessment in this provocative and eye-opening book. Caplan argues that voters continually elect politicians who either share their biases or else pretend to, resulting in bad policies winning again and again by popular demand. Boldly calling into question our most basic assumptions about American politics, Caplan contends that democracy fails precisely because it does what voters want. Through an analysis of Americans' voting behavior and opinions on a range of economic issues, he makes the convincing case that noneconomists suffer from four prevailing biases: they underestimate the wisdom of the market mechanism, distrust foreigners, undervalue the benefits of conserving labor, and pessimistically believe the economy is going from bad to worse. Caplan lays out several bold ways to make democratic government work better--for example, urging economic educators to focus on correcting popular misconceptions and recommending that democracies do less and let markets take up the slack. The Myth of the Rational Voter takes an unflinching look at how people who vote under the influence of false beliefs ultimately end up with government that delivers lousy results. With the upcoming presidential election season drawing nearer, this thought-provoking book is sure to spark a long-overdue reappraisal of our elective system.

The Myth of Voter Fraud

Author : Lorraine C. Minnite
Publisher : Cornell University Press
ISBN 13 : 0801457823
Total Pages : 312 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (14 download)

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Book Synopsis The Myth of Voter Fraud by : Lorraine C. Minnite

Download or read book The Myth of Voter Fraud written by Lorraine C. Minnite and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2011-03-15 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Allegations that widespread voter fraud is threatening to the integrity of American elections and American democracy itself have intensified since the disputed 2000 presidential election. The claim that elections are being stolen by illegal immigrants and unscrupulous voter registration activists and vote buyers has been used to persuade the public that voter malfeasance is of greater concern than structural inequities in the ways votes are gathered and tallied, justifying ever tighter restrictions on access to the polls. Yet, that claim is a myth. In The Myth of Voter Fraud, Lorraine C. Minnite presents the results of her meticulous search for evidence of voter fraud. She concludes that while voting irregularities produced by the fragmented and complex nature of the electoral process in the United States are common, incidents of deliberate voter fraud are actually quite rare. Based on painstaking research aggregating and sifting through data from a variety of sources, including public records requests to all fifty state governments and the U.S. Justice Department, Minnite contends that voter fraud is in reality a politically constructed myth intended to further complicate the voting process and reduce voter turnout. She refutes several high-profile charges of alleged voter fraud, such as the assertion that eight of the 9/11 hijackers were registered to vote, and makes the question of voter fraud more precise by distinguishing fraud from the manifold ways in which electoral democracy can be distorted. Effectively disentangling misunderstandings and deliberate distortions from reality, The Myth of Voter Fraud provides rigorous empirical evidence for those fighting to make the electoral process more efficient, more equitable, and more democratic.

Democracy for Realists

Author : Christopher H. Achen
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 1400888743
Total Pages : 408 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (8 download)

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Book Synopsis Democracy for Realists by : Christopher H. Achen

Download or read book Democracy for Realists written by Christopher H. Achen and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2017-08-29 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why our belief in government by the people is unrealistic—and what we can do about it Democracy for Realists assails the romantic folk-theory at the heart of contemporary thinking about democratic politics and government, and offers a provocative alternative view grounded in the actual human nature of democratic citizens. Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels deploy a wealth of social-scientific evidence, including ingenious original analyses of topics ranging from abortion politics and budget deficits to the Great Depression and shark attacks, to show that the familiar ideal of thoughtful citizens steering the ship of state from the voting booth is fundamentally misguided. They demonstrate that voters—even those who are well informed and politically engaged—mostly choose parties and candidates on the basis of social identities and partisan loyalties, not political issues. They also show that voters adjust their policy views and even their perceptions of basic matters of fact to match those loyalties. When parties are roughly evenly matched, elections often turn on irrelevant or misleading considerations such as economic spurts or downturns beyond the incumbents' control; the outcomes are essentially random. Thus, voters do not control the course of public policy, even indirectly. Achen and Bartels argue that democratic theory needs to be founded on identity groups and political parties, not on the preferences of individual voters. Now with new analysis of the 2016 elections, Democracy for Realists provides a powerful challenge to conventional thinking, pointing the way toward a fundamentally different understanding of the realities and potential of democratic government.

The Myth of Democratic Failure

Author : Donald A. Wittman
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
ISBN 13 : 9780226904238
Total Pages : 244 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (42 download)

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Book Synopsis The Myth of Democratic Failure by : Donald A. Wittman

Download or read book The Myth of Democratic Failure written by Donald A. Wittman and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1995 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The Myth of Democratic Failure, Donald A. Wittman refutes one of the cornerstone beliefs of economics and political science: that economic markets are more efficient than the processes and institutions of democratic government.

Summary: The Myth of the Rational Voter

Author : BusinessNews Publishing,
Publisher : Primento
ISBN 13 : 2511002280
Total Pages : 17 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (11 download)

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Book Synopsis Summary: The Myth of the Rational Voter by : BusinessNews Publishing,

Download or read book Summary: The Myth of the Rational Voter written by BusinessNews Publishing, and published by Primento. This book was released on 2017-01-30 with total page 17 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The must-read summary of Bryan Caplan’s book: “The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies”. This complete summary of “The Myth of the Rational Voter” by Bryan Caplan, a renowned economist and political commentator, presents his investigation into why voters are largely influenced by misconceptions, irrational beliefs and personal opinions. In his book, the author reveals how voters continue to elect the candidates that share their personal beliefs, which means that bad policies are chosen again and again due to public demand. Caplan boldly questions assumptions about America’s politics and claims that democracy is failing because politicians choose bad policies to satisfy the electorate. Added-value of this summary: • Save time • Understand why uninformed voters pose a threat to the essence of democracy • Expand your knowledge of American politics and elections To learn more, read “The Myth of the Rational Voter” and find out the truth behind American politics and how irrational voters essentially hold all the power.

The Case against Education

Author : Bryan Caplan
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 0691201439
Total Pages : 551 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (912 download)

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Book Synopsis The Case against Education by : Bryan Caplan

Download or read book The Case against Education written by Bryan Caplan and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2019-08-20 with total page 551 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why we need to stop wasting public funds on education Despite being immensely popular—and immensely lucrative—education is grossly overrated. Now with a new afterword by Bryan Caplan, this explosive book argues that the primary function of education is not to enhance students' skills but to signal the qualities of a good employee. Learn why students hunt for easy As only to forget most of what they learn after the final exam, why decades of growing access to education have not resulted in better jobs for average workers, how employers reward workers for costly schooling they rarely ever use, and why cutting education spending is the best remedy. Romantic notions about education being "good for the soul" must yield to careful research and common sense—The Case against Education points the way.

Democracy and Political Ignorance

Author : Ilya Somin
Publisher : Stanford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0804789312
Total Pages : 277 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (47 download)

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Book Synopsis Democracy and Political Ignorance by : Ilya Somin

Download or read book Democracy and Political Ignorance written by Ilya Somin and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2013-10-02 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Against Democracy

Author : Jason Brennan
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 1400888395
Total Pages : 312 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (8 download)

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Book Synopsis Against Democracy by : Jason Brennan

Download or read book Against Democracy written by Jason Brennan and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2017-09-26 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A bracingly provocative challenge to one of our most cherished ideas and institutions Most people believe democracy is a uniquely just form of government. They believe people have the right to an equal share of political power. And they believe that political participation is good for us—it empowers us, helps us get what we want, and tends to make us smarter, more virtuous, and more caring for one another. These are some of our most cherished ideas about democracy. But Jason Brennan says they are all wrong. In this trenchant book, Brennan argues that democracy should be judged by its results—and the results are not good enough. Just as defendants have a right to a fair trial, citizens have a right to competent government. But democracy is the rule of the ignorant and the irrational, and it all too often falls short. Furthermore, no one has a fundamental right to any share of political power, and exercising political power does most of us little good. On the contrary, a wide range of social science research shows that political participation and democratic deliberation actually tend to make people worse—more irrational, biased, and mean. Given this grim picture, Brennan argues that a new system of government—epistocracy, the rule of the knowledgeable—may be better than democracy, and that it's time to experiment and find out. A challenging critique of democracy and the first sustained defense of the rule of the knowledgeable, Against Democracy is essential reading for scholars and students of politics across the disciplines. Featuring a new preface that situates the book within the current political climate and discusses other alternatives beyond epistocracy, Against Democracy is a challenging critique of democracy and the first sustained defense of the rule of the knowledgeable.

Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids

Author : Bryan Caplan
Publisher : Basic Books
ISBN 13 : 046502341X
Total Pages : 242 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (65 download)

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Book Synopsis Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids by : Bryan Caplan

Download or read book Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids written by Bryan Caplan and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2011-04-12 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We've needlessly turned parenting into an unpleasant chore. Parents invest more time and money in their kids than ever, but the shocking lesson of twin and adoption research is that upbringing is much less important than genetics in the long run. These revelations have surprising implications for how we parent and how we spend time with our kids. The big lesson: Mold your kids less and enjoy your life more. Your kids will still turn out fine. Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids is a book of practical big ideas. How can parents be happier? What can they change -- and what do they need to just accept? Which of their worries can parents safely forget? Above all, what is the right number of kids for you to have? You'll never see kids or parenthood the same way again.

The Myth of the Rational Voter

Author : Bryan Douglas Caplan
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 26 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (152 download)

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Book Synopsis The Myth of the Rational Voter by : Bryan Douglas Caplan

Download or read book The Myth of the Rational Voter written by Bryan Douglas Caplan and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Caplan argues that voters continually elect politicians who either share their biases or else pretend to, resulting in bad policies winning again and again by popular demand. Calling into question our most basic assumptions about American politics, Caplan contends that democracy fails precisely because it does what voters want. Through an analysis of American's voting behavior and opinions on a range of economic issues, he makes the case that noneconomists suffer from four prevailing biases: they underestimate the wisdom of the market mechanism, distrust foreigners, undervalue the benefits of conserving labor, and pessimistically believe the economy is going from bad to worse. Caplan lays out several ways to make democratic government work better

The Political Brain

Author : Drew Westen
Publisher : PublicAffairs
ISBN 13 : 1586485997
Total Pages : 496 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (864 download)

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Book Synopsis The Political Brain by : Drew Westen

Download or read book The Political Brain written by Drew Westen and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 2008-05-06 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Political Brain is a groundbreaking investigation into the role of emotion in determining the political life of the nation. For two decades Drew Westen, professor of psychology and psychiatry at Emory University, has explored a theory of the mind that differs substantially from the more "dispassionate" notions held by most cognitive psychologists, political scientists, and economists—and Democratic campaign strategists. The idea of the mind as a cool calculator that makes decisions by weighing the evidence bears no relation to how the brain actually works. When political candidates assume voters dispassionately make decisions based on "the issues," they lose. That's why only one Democrat has been re-elected to the presidency since Franklin Roosevelt—and only one Republican has failed in that quest. In politics, when reason and emotion collide, emotion invariably wins. Elections are decided in the marketplace of emotions, a marketplace filled with values, images, analogies, moral sentiments, and moving oratory, in which logic plays only a supporting role. Westen shows, through a whistle-stop journey through the evolution of the passionate brain and a bravura tour through fifty years of American presidential and national elections, why campaigns succeed and fail. The evidence is overwhelming that three things determine how people vote, in this order: their feelings toward the parties and their principles, their feelings toward the candidates, and, if they haven't decided by then, their feelings toward the candidates' policy positions. Westen turns conventional political analyses on their head, suggesting that the question for Democratic politics isn't so much about moving to the right or the left but about moving the electorate. He shows how it can be done through examples of what candidates have said—or could have said—in debates, speeches, and ads. Westen's discoveries could utterly transform electoral arithmetic, showing how a different view of the mind and brain leads to a different way of talking with voters about issues that have tied the tongues of Democrats for much of forty years—such as abortion, guns, taxes, and race. You can't change the structure of the brain. But you can change the way you appeal to it. And here's how…

Open Borders

Author : Bryan Caplan
Publisher : First Second
ISBN 13 : 1250766230
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (57 download)

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Book Synopsis Open Borders by : Bryan Caplan

Download or read book Open Borders written by Bryan Caplan and published by First Second. This book was released on 2019-10-29 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An Economist “Our Books of the Year” Selection Economist Bryan Caplan makes a bold case for unrestricted immigration in this fact-filled graphic nonfiction. American policy-makers have long been locked in a heated battle over whether, how many, and what kind of immigrants to allow to live and work in the country. Those in favor of welcoming more immigrants often cite humanitarian reasons, while those in favor of more restrictive laws argue the need to protect native citizens. But economist Bryan Caplan adds a new, compelling perspective to the immigration debate: He argues that opening all borders could eliminate absolute poverty worldwide and usher in a booming worldwide economy—greatly benefiting humanity. With a clear and conversational tone, exhaustive research, and vibrant illustrations by Zach Weinersmith, Open Borders makes the case for unrestricted immigration easy to follow and hard to deny.

In Defence of Democracy

Author : Roslyn Fuller
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 150953315X
Total Pages : 107 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (95 download)

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Book Synopsis In Defence of Democracy by : Roslyn Fuller

Download or read book In Defence of Democracy written by Roslyn Fuller and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2019-10-18 with total page 107 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Should Brexit or Trump cause us to doubt our faith in democracy? Are ‘the people’ too ignorant or stupid to rule? Numerous commentators are seriously arguing that the answer to these questions might be ‘yes’. In this take-no-prisoners book, Canadian-Irish author Roslyn Fuller kicks these anti-democrats where it hurts the most – the facts. Fuller shows how many academics, journalists and politicians have embraced the idea that there can be ‘too much democracy’, and deftly unravels their attempts to end majority rule, whether through limiting the franchise, pursuing Chinese ‘meritocracy’ or confining participation to random legislation panels. She shows that Trump, Brexit or whatever other political event you may have disapproved of recently aren’t doing half the damage to democracy that elite self-righteousness and corruption are. In fact, argues Fuller, there are real reasons to be optimistic. Ancient methods can be combined with modern technology to revitalize democracy and allow the people to truly rule. In Defence of Democracy is a witty and energetic contribution to the debate on the future of democracy.

Markets against Modernity

Author : Ryan H. Murphy
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1498591191
Total Pages : 231 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (985 download)

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Book Synopsis Markets against Modernity by : Ryan H. Murphy

Download or read book Markets against Modernity written by Ryan H. Murphy and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-11-08 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Markets Against Modernity, economist Ryan Murphy documents a clear continuity between the systematic errors people make in their personal lives and the gaps between public opinion and informed opinion. These errors cluster around specific divergences between how the modern world’s institutions function—including global markets, pluralistic democracy, and even science itself—and how evolution trained our brains to understand the nature of economic relationships, social relationships, and humanity’s relationship to the physical world. Murphy calls these systematic divergences Ecological Irrationality. Exploring them leads him to even more prickly questions—and to conclusions that may challenge the beliefs of those who understand that, for instance, modern vaccines are safe and effective. Do we actually want a less cohesive society? Is doing a task yourself financially prudent? And if we recognize an expert consensus, is there even a way to implement it and achieve the desired effects?

Democracy and Liberty

Author : William Edward Hartpole Lecky
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 604 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Democracy and Liberty by : William Edward Hartpole Lecky

Download or read book Democracy and Liberty written by William Edward Hartpole Lecky and published by . This book was released on 1896 with total page 604 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Myth of the Rational Voter

Author : Bryan Caplan
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (137 download)

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Book Synopsis The Myth of the Rational Voter by : Bryan Caplan

Download or read book The Myth of the Rational Voter written by Bryan Caplan and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In theory, democracy is a bulwark against socially harmful policies. In practice, however, democracies frequently adopt and maintain policies that are damaging. How can this paradox be explained? The influence of special interests and voter ignorance are two leading explanations. I offer an alternative story of how and why democracy fails. The central idea is that voters are worse than ignorant; they are, in a word, irrational - and they vote accordingly. Despite their lack of knowledge, voters are not humble agnostics; instead, they confidently embrace a long list of misconceptions. In the minds of many, Winston Churchill's famous aphorism cuts the conversation short: Democracy is the worst form of government, except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time. But this saying overlooks the fact that governments vary in scope as well as form. In democracies the main alternative to majority rule is not dictatorship, but markets. A better understanding of voter irrationality advises us to rely less on democracy and more on the market.

The Ethics of Voting

Author : Jason Brennan
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 0691154449
Total Pages : 228 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (911 download)

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Book Synopsis The Ethics of Voting by : Jason Brennan

Download or read book The Ethics of Voting written by Jason Brennan and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2012-04-29 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cover; Contents; Acknowledgments; INTRODUCTION: Voting as an Ethical Issue; CHAPTER ONE: Arguments for a Duty to Vote; CHAPTER TWO: Civic Virtue without Politics; CHAPTER THREE: Wrongful Voting; CHAPTER FOUR: Deference and Abstention; CHAPTER FIVE: For the Common Good; CHAPTER SIX: Buying and Selling Votes; CHAPTER SEVEN: How Well Do Voters Behave?; AFTERWORD TO THE PAPERBACK EDITION: How to Vote Well; Notes; References; Index. - Nothing is more integral to democracy than voting. Most people believe that every citizen has the civic duty or moral obligation to vote, that any sincere vote is morally acceptable, and that buying, selling, or trading votes is inherently wrong. In this provocative book, Jason Brennan challenges our fundamental assumptions about voting, revealing why it is not a duty for most citizens--in fact, he argues, many people owe it to the rest of us not to vote. Bad choices at the polls can result in unjust laws, needless wars, and calamitous economic policies. Brennan shows why voters have duties to.