Anthony Downs Culture War Summary

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Anthony Downs is arguably one of the most well-known economist in the country, due to his innovative findings in his work An economic theory to democracy. In 1956, Downs presented his doctoral dissertation which gave an economic stance on voting in different political systems. This was accomplished by downs using economic theories to explain and give future understanding to the idea of voting in America’s two party democracy and other country’s multi-party electoral system. Downs findings were so innovative a new movement was further founded based on his findings in this book called the public choice model movement.
Within in this book Downs presents a rational economic calculus of voting that gives a varied outlook voting and turnout in …show more content…

The Myth of a Polarized America, political scientist Morris P. Fiorina explored the truth behind the myth that America is so divided and polarized when it comes to political issues. Polarization is the disagreement of political attitudes towards ideological extremes. In the book there are many theories and reasons offered for this effect on political ideologies. Fiorina's gave a compelling theory called the, “sorting" theory of voter behavior. It explains simply the potential cause of believed variation among American voters: it states that voters dislike both parties equally. Moreover, since the extensive disappointment of the Nixon Watergate scandal, and other political catastrophes the American people do not trust either party with boundless political power. Consequently, in elections most voters face only two rather unpopular choices, their votes ultimately are forced to go to either political party since neither one truly matches their values.
Fiorina states that both red conservative and blue democratic states are basically centralist, one may be a little more conservative than the other. However, people mostly see themselves in the center. The book also affirms that there are only a hand full of issues that Americans are truly perceived to be divided on. However, in most cases the opposing sides are defending completely different and unrelated viewpoints from the opposition. Fiorina offered some of these reasons in order to attempt to debunk the belief that America is such a polarized

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