Posted on 02/28/2012 8:11:50 PM PST by Olog-hai
The democratic process relies on the assumption that citizens (the majority of them, at least) can recognize the best political candidate, or best policy idea, when they see it. But a growing body of research has revealed an unfortunate aspect of the human psyche that would seem to disprove this notion, and imply instead that democratic elections produce mediocre leadership and policies.
The research, led by David Dunning, a psychologist at Cornell University, shows that incompetent people are inherently unable to judge the competence of other people, or the quality of those people's ideas. For example, if people lack expertise on tax reform, it is very difficult for them to identify the candidates who are actual experts. They simply lack the mental tools needed to make meaningful judgments.
As a result, no amount of information or facts about political candidates can override the inherent inability of many voters to accurately evaluate them. On top of that, "very smart ideas are going to be hard for people to adopt, because most people don’t have the sophistication to recognize how good an idea is," Dunning told Life's Little Mysteries. …
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
Interesting this “research” didn’t come out just after Obama was elected.
There’s a bit too much conflation of the words “democracy” (which is supposed to mean “rule of the people”) and “republic” (a very-abused term by the Marxists, ever since the R in USSR) that not too many except the most informed can know what the USA’s Founding Fathers intended. Boils down to the rule of law versus the rule of man, of course. The “scientists” engaged in these “studies” are evidently wannabe technocrats that prefer the rule of man, which is tyranny.
However dubious the research methods may be ... if you doubt the results may I present to your attention the current Commander in Chief of these United States, then the person who is second in line to succeed him, then the person who is third, then the person in fourth place. Finally I’d like to present to woman who takes the fifth position in the line of succession. I rest my case.
I wonder if smarty pants fell for the man made global warming hoax? I bet he did.
In other news: 95% of people believe they are smarter than average.
What is lacking in the article is mention of the rarest of all human qualities: COMMON SENSE.
I was not a fan of Veep Spiro Agnew, but he did hit the nail on the head, from time to time. To wit: “They are a bunch of pointy-headed, pseudo-intellectuals, who can’t even park a bicycle straight!”
Sums up, very nicely, my opinion of the “pointy-heads” in the article.
“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard.”
- H. L. Mencken
>> For example, if people lack expertise on tax reform, it is very difficult for them to identify the candidates who are actual experts. They simply lack the mental tools needed to make meaningful judgments.
What a load of crap. Title equally idiotic.
I guess I’ll cut the author some slack given she’s a woman.
I happen to believe in the American people and the Republic. We may get some things wrong but better rule by the people and for the people then by those who think they know what’s best for us. Actually most of what ticks me off in government is from people thinking they know what’s best for everyone.
People MAY be smart enough, but they are too celebrity infatuated with their electronic distractions and entertainment addictions may be a better way to term it.
Even the Presidential campaign is little more than a high-stakes American Idol to many. Another sign is the daily polls, multiple polls, which are the political equivalent of ESPN’s sport’s desk reporting the scores.
The people are getting the govt. they deserve.
Very good. :) They do lack common sense and that is why their “smart” ideas fail in the real world.
To prove how wrong this guy is, consider who America has chosen as President and the wonderful job they’ve done in choosing Congressmen.
I don’t see how these professors could come to the conclusion that most Americans are idiots.
A country cannot be free without the Spirit of the Lord. "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17
Meanwhile, you’ve got crusaders on the left pushing for so-called “voting rights” for convicted criminals. Funny that they push for this on one hand and they have their pseudoscientists declaring that this selfsame segment of society (which is actually outside society) is not competent to exercise this “right” that they’re fighting to give them. Doublethink at its most devious.
For example, on math tests, smart students underestimated their actual scores by 5-10%, while dumber students overestimated their scores by 25-40%, so your statement about how 95% of people think they're above average isn't that far off!
I hate to keep repeating myself, but the US is a republic with representative democracy as its form of government. One does not precluse the other. One can have a republic with a dictatorship as well.
Only taxpayers should vote.
I'll bet you this guy voted for Obama. Therefore, he has proved his own incompetence.
Do you think he realizes this?
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