The Ongoing Debate Over Political Ignorance: Reply to My Critics
- Author(s): Ilya Somin
- Posted: 2-2016
- Legal Studies #: LS 16-03
- Availability: Full text (most recent) on SSRN
ABSTRACT:
The participants in this Critical Review symposium raise many insightful criticisms and reservations about my book Democracy and Political Ignorance: Why Smaller Government Is Smarter. But none substantially undermine its main thesis: that rational political ignorance and rational irrationality are major problems for democracy that are best addressed by limiting and decentralizing government power. Part I of this reply addresses criticisms of my analysis of the problem of political ignorance and its causes. Part II assesses challenges to my proposed solution.