Why The History?

I am weary beyond words from having to hear about 'unaccountable judges who think they can decide if something is constitional', that 'we are a Christian country' or for that matter, that we are a 'Democracy'.

These are the complaints of people who, while calling themselves patriots, have precious little understanding of the government they profess to love.

I haven't read this Book, but I probably will (not that it matters that I read it).

The Author talks about his work

The fact is politicians count on voters being stupid. They play on peoples' emotions, exploit their fears, and summon myths from the depths of the national culture to advance their hold on the voters' hearts and minds. Were the voters smarter the pols would play politics differently.

If politicians were angels we wouldn't need smart voters. But they aren't. So we do.
Are we worse off than in the past? We are. Half a century ago voters were better prepared to take on the responsibilities of good citizens, this despite the fact that they were less well educated then than now. (In 1940 six in ten Americans didn't get past the 8th grade. Today most have spent some time in college.)

So what happened? Television is a big part of the explanation. Once television replaced newspapers as the chief source of news – this happened around 1965—shallowness was inescapable as Americans began judging politicians by how they looked and acted. Another factor was the collapse of the traditional two-party system and unions. Once voters stopped taking their cues from party and labor bosses they were largely on their own as they sorted through the complicated choices they face