Summary Of The Unpolitical Animal By Louis Menand

XINYUN ZHANG
POL101
PAPER #2

One of the ratification of the United States Constitution, 15th Amendment grants American citizens the right to vote without regarding to race; and no governmental institution such federal and state government to deny this right. Therefore, the general American citizens have the right to participate in politics such as vote for their senators or presidents in this country. However, In “The Unpolitical Animal,” Louis Menand reveals that “In election years from 1952 to 2000, when people were asked whether they cared who won the Presidential election, between twenty-two and forty-four per cent answered “don’t care” or “don’t know”.” Since candidates were directly and indirectly elected by citizens, critics of American electoral system argue that the majority of American citizens do not have proper

For instance, Menand writes, “The fraction of the electorates that responds to substantive political argument is hugely outweighed by the fraction that responds to slogans, misinformation...random personal association.” Mass voters mostly pursue the wrong or irrelevant information that are irrelevant to the election; thus lead them to vote for the candidates which they do not really want. Their choices mostly lack rationalities. Many voters who are slightly informative think that they are participating in a certain issue and considering the value of the candidates; yet most of them do not have adequate information and knowledge in understanding the meaning of political terms. Voters lack judgment on their government and candidates, their minds are easily being brainwashed by a small amount of people who has informative approaches in participating governmental issue, and affect their