Dynamic Democracy: Public Opinion, Elections, and Policymaking in the American States (Caughey Devin)(Paperback)

A new perspective on policy responsiveness in American government. Scholars of American politics have long been skeptical of ordinary citizens' capacity to influence, let alone control, their governments. Drawing on over eight decades of state-level evidence on public opinion, elections, and policymaking, Devin Caughey and Christopher Warshaw pose a powerful challenge to this pessimistic view. Their research reveals that although American democracy cannot be taken for granted, state policymaking is far more responsive to citizens' demands than skeptics claim. Although governments respond sluggishly in the short term, over the long term, electoral incentives induce state parties and politicians--and ultimately policymaking--to adapt to voters' preferences The authors take an empirical and theoretical approach that allows them to assess democracy as a dynamic process.
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