Democracy More or LessWhy 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. |
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absentee ballots advocates American political Barack Obama Cain California campaign finance reform candidates citizens coalition conflict-of-interest Congress congressional constitutional amendment constitutional convention contestation contributions creates decisions delegates deliberative democratic distortion democratic imperative direct democracy disclosure district donors effect efforts elected officials election administration electoral accountability Electoral College equal expertise fairness federal filibuster Hasen incentives incumbents individuals influence institutional interest groups intermediaries issues Karin MacDonald laws legislative legislature less lobbying lobbyists majority material corruption measures ment minority monitor neutral nonpartisan outcomes participation partisan partisanship pluralism pluralist political corruption political parties political reform political system polling popular initiative populist potential principal-agent problems problems procedures public officials racial redistricting redistricting commissions regulation representation representative government Republican requires role Senate separation of powers strategy structural supermajority rules Supreme Court term limits tion trade-off transparency undermine voters voting rights Voting Rights Act