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The People Are the Problem: Part 17,502
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The Triad

The People Are the Problem: Part 17,502

All of our anguish is the result of trying to figure out ways to get around the fact that voters aren't rational actors.

Jonathan V. Last's avatar
Jonathan V. Last
Aug 31, 2023
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The People Are the Problem: Part 17,502
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(Photo by GraphicaArtis/Getty Images)

1. Can We Elect a New Electorate?

We’re going to touch on three ideas today that all tie into the same overriding problem:

  • Public opinion about America’s schools.

  • The proposal to use the 14th Amendment to keep Trump off of the ballot.

  • Trump’s strong general election polling against Biden.

Each of these comes down to the same reality: The stability of liberalism is like the stability of the free market. It’s based on the assumption that people are rational actors in a system without overriding externalities and that these people will, on balance, choose to preserve liberalism over the long run.1

So let’s start with how people view America’s schools. Newsflash: Americans think our schools are terrible! Only 36 percent of Americans say they are satisfied with America’s K-12 schools.

There’s just one problem with that number . . .

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