Voter Ignorance Is Not Necessarily a Problem

Datos Bibliográficos

ID6251968
AutoresThomas Christiano (0000-0003-1615-4031, autor de correspondencia)
Año2015
Volumen27
Número3-4
Páginas253-269
Fecha de publicación2015-10-02
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaCritical Review (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0891-3811 • E-ISSN: 1933-8007
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/08913811.2015.1111669
OpenAlexW2288272298
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas18
Referencias citadas14

Ilya Somin's case for smaller government and "foot voting" rests on at least two questionable assumptions. The first is that voter ignorance is based on rational calculation. This assumption requires arbitrary stipulations about the degree of voter altruism and the low values voters assign to the victory of their candidates. The second is that voter ignorance betokens bad public policy. But there is plenty of evidence to the contrary. How can this be the case? One explanation is that individually ignorant voters are small pieces of a large system that divides intellectual labor through discussions among elites, opinion leaders, and ordinary citizens. This system may entitle voters to trust in the opinions of others, sparing them the need to be well informed

Altruism (biology · Economic Justice · Economics · Government (linguistics · Ignorance · Ilya · Law and economics · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Public opinion · Veil of ignorance · Victory · Voting · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Philosophy · Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East · Psychology · Social Psychology · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies