Soccer Dad

It's the fault of democracy

Robert Samuelson tells us what's wrong with the country What if we're to blame? ( or here.)

Public opinion also marches in many directions at once.

Americans favor balanced budgets. But in 66 years of surveys, taxpayers have never said their income taxes were too low. A Gallup poll in April found that 48 percent thought their taxes too high; and only 2 percent too low. Americans also think government spending is hugely wasteful. But locating that waste is hard. A recent Fox News poll reported that only 19 percent favor cuts in Social Security, 21 percent in health care and 25 percent in defense.

Or consider energy. Americans crave cheap gasoline. Unfortunately, that increases our oil demand -- which conflicts with our desire to reduce oil imports. Or immigration. A recent Pew Research Center survey said that 52 percent of Americans think immigrants are "a burden because they take jobs and housing.'' But only 27 percent would require illegal immigrants to go home and only 40 percent would reduce legal immigration.

Facing such inconsistencies, how can government make sensible policy? Not easily.

It's not that we don't know what we want; it's that what we want too many different and - often - inconsistent things. Infinite Diversity (results) in Infinite Confusion.

Technorati tags: Democracy, Robert Samuelson.

Posted by SoccerDad at November 1, 2006 6:30 AM