{"product_id":"just-how-stupid-are-we-rick-shenkman-9780465014934","title":"Just How Stupid Are We?: Facing the Truth about the American Voter","description":"Levees break in New Orleans. Iraq descends into chaos. The housing market teeters on the brink of collapse. Americans of all political stripes are heading into the 2008 election with the sense that something has gone terribly wrong with American politics. But what exactly? Democrats blame Republicans and Republicans blame Democrats. Greedy corporate executives, rogue journalists, faulty voting machines, irresponsible defense contractors-we blame them, too. The only thing everyone seems to agree on, in fact, is that \u003ci\u003ethe American people are entirely blameless\u003c\/i\u003e. In \u003ci\u003eJust How Stupid Are We?\u003c\/i\u003e, best-selling historian and renowned myth-buster Rick Shenkman takes aim at our great national piety: the wisdom of the American people. The hard truth is that American democracy is more direct than ever-but voters are misusing, abusing, and abdicating their political power. Americans are paying less and less attention to politics at a time when they need to pay much more: Television has dumbed politics down to the basest possible level, while the real workings of politics have become vastly more complicated. Shenkman offers concrete proposals for reforming our institutions-the government, the media, civic organizations, political parties-to make them work better for the American people. But first, Shenkman argues, we must reform ourselves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Rick Shenkman\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0465014933\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780465014934\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Basic Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/12\/2009\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 256\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.59lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.23h x 5.58w x 0.69d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChronicle of Higher Education\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/05\/2010 pg. 4","brand":"Rick Shenkman","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44634233471231,"sku":"9780465014934","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_029a7e9b-0faf-452d-ace7-aadb9b2d3030.jpg?v=1703588236","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/just-how-stupid-are-we-rick-shenkman-9780465014934","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}