Too Dumb for Democracy? : Why We Make Bad Political Decisions and How We Can Make Better Ones

Bad decisions down to a science. D'oh-mocracy at its finest. Brexit. Trump. Ford Nation. In this timely book, David Moscrop asks why we make irrational political decisions and whether our stone-age brains can process democracy in the information age. In an era overshadowed by income inequality, environmental catastrophes, terrorism at home and abroad, and the decline of democracy, Moscrop argues that the political decision-making process has never been more important. In fact, our survival may depend on it. Drawing on both political science and psychology, Moscrop examines how our brains, our environment, the media, and institutions influence decision-making. Making good decisions is not impossible, Moscrop argues, but the psychological and political odds are sometimes stacked against us. In this readable and provocative investigation of our often-flawed decisions, Moscrop explains what's going wrong in today's political landscape and how individuals, societies, and institutions can work together to set things right. "Brexit. Trump. Ford Nation. In this timely book, David Moscrop asks why we make irrational political decisions and whether our stone-age brains can process democracy in the information age. In an era overshadowed by income inequality, environmental catastrophes, terrorism at home and abroad, and the decline of democracy, Moscrop argues that the political decision-making process has never been more important. In fact, our survival may depend on it. Drawing on both political science and psychology, Moscrop examines how our brains, our environment, the media, and institutions influence decision-making. Making good decisions is not impossible, Moscrop argues, but the psychological and political odds are sometimes stacked against us. In this readable and provocative investigation of our often-flawed decisions, Moscrop explains what's going wrong in today's political landscape and how individuals, societies, and institutions can work together to set things right."-- Provided by publisher In this timely book, David Moscrop asks why we make irrational political decisions and whether our stone-age brains can process democracy in the information age. In an era overshadowed by income inequality, environmental catastrophes, terrorism at home and abroad, and the decline of democracy, Moscrop argues that the political decision-making process has never been more important. In fact, our survival may depend on it. Drawing on both political science and psychology, Moscrop examines how our brains, our environment, the media, and institutions influence decision-making. In this readable and provocative investigation of our often-flawed decisions, Moscrop explains what’s going wrong in today’s political landscape and how individuals, societies, and institutions can work together to set things right. David Moscrop is a political theorist with an interest in democratic deliberation and citizenship. Moscrop is a regular political commentator on television and radio and in newspapers. Preface None Public matters, grey matter: The brain and decision-making Deciding in democracies: The long road to self-government What is a good political decision? None Our bodies, our minds, mental shortcuts, and the media Our milieu Our institutions Five ways of thinking about thinking None I want you! (to make better political decisions) You cannot fix it all on you own: Why our milieu and institutions must change None None None None In the sprint of 2008, I was sitting in a small room in a big house in Ottawa glancing back and forth between a studio piano that I had impulse-purchased a year before and never played and a shelf of books that had nothing to do with the project I was working on.