Overview

Why democracy is the most effective form of government despite irrational (and sometime oblivious) voters and flawed (and sometimes inept) politicians.

Voters often make irrational decisions based on inaccurate and irrelevant information. Politicians are often inept, corrupt, or out of touch with the will of the people. Elections can be determined by the design of the ballot and the gerrymandered borders of a district. And yet, despite voters who choose candidates according to the boxer-brief dichotomy and politicians who struggle to put together a coherent sentence, democracy works exceptionally well: citizens of democracies are healthier, happier, and freer than citizens of other countries. In Democracy Despite Itself, Danny Oppenheimer, a psychologist, and Mike Edwards, a political scientist, explore this paradox: How can democracy lead to such successful outcomes when the defining characteristic of democracy--elections--is so flawed?

Oppenheimer and Edwards argue that democracy works because regular elections, no matter how flawed, produce a variety of unintuitive, positive consequences. The brilliance of democracy, write Oppenheimer and Edwards, does not lie in the people's ability to pick superior leaders. It lies in the many ways that it subtly encourages the flawed people and their flawed leaders to work toward building a better society.


ISBN-13

9780262017237

ISBN-10

0262017237

Weight

1.05 Pounds

Dimensions

6.00 x 0.88 x 9.00 In

List Price

$25.00

Edition

1st Edition

Format

Hardcover

Language

English

Pages

248 pages

Publisher

The MIT Press

Published On

2012-01-27



View All Offers

Sort by:

Rows per page:

1–5 of 5

Condition
Seller
Seller Comments
Price
Used, Good
Seller details
Dream Books Co.
★★★★★

Denver, CO, USA

Gently used with minimal wear on the corners and cover. A few pages may contain light highlighting...
$6.57

 Free delivery by: 01 Apr 2026

Used, Good
Seller details
Evergreen Goodwill
★★★★☆

Seattle, WA, USA

$9.67

 Free delivery by: 01 Apr 2026

Used, Good
Seller details
Bonita
★★★★☆

Santa Clarita, CA, USA

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items. May be an ex-library book.
$40.88

 Free delivery by: 01 Apr 2026

Brand New
Seller details
GridFreed
★★★★★

North Las Vegas, NV, USA

Size: 96x14x144; In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title!
$86.73

 Free delivery by: 01 Apr 2026


Bookstores.com relies on cookies to improve your experience.