In Defense of Politicians - The Expectations Trap and Its Threat to Democracy

Politicians are reviled. From jokes on late-night TV talk shows to radio show rants and from public opinion polls to ubiquitous conventional wisdom-politicians are among the most despised professional class in modern society. Drawing on seminal work in political science, Stephen K. Medvic convincingly argues to the masses that this blanket condemnation of politicians is both unfair and unwarranted. While some individual politicians certainly deserve scorn for misjudgments, moral failings, or even criminal acts, the assumption that all of them should be cast in a similar light is unjustified. More importantly, that deeply cynical assumption is dangerous to the legitimacy of a democratic system of government. Politicians, as a class, deserve respect, not out of blind obedience to authority but because democratic deliberation requires it.

List of contents

Preface. 1 – The Problem. 2 – The Sources of Anti-Politician Sentiment. 3 – The Public Lives of Politicians: Do Politicians Pander? 4 – The Public Lives of Politicians: Election (or Ideology, or Party) Above All Else? 5 – The 2011 Debt Ceiling Debate: A Case Study.6 – The Private Lives of Politicians: Ambition and Hypocrisy. 7 – The Private Lives of Politicians: Dishonesty. 8 – Rebuilding Trust in Politicians.

About the author

Stephen K. Medvic is Associate Professor of Government at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Product details

• Authors: Stephen K. Medvic, Medvic Stephen K.
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 18.12.2012
• EAN: 9780415880442
• ISBN: 978-0-415-88044-2
• No. of pages: 216
• Series: Controversies in Electoral Democracy and Representation
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; POLITICAL SCIENCE / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / American Government / General, Political leaders & leadership, Elections & referenda, Political leaders and leadership, Elections and referenda / suffrage