Are You Politically Ignorant, Rationally Ignorant, or Actually Informed?

Ilya Somin, Professor of Law at George Mason University and the author of Democracy and Political Ignorance: Why Smaller Government Is Smarter, joins host T.J. O’Hara on Deconstructed to examine the reality, scope, and impact of political ignorance. Professor Somin is a broadly published author and political commentator whose work has been featured by virtually every major media outlet both in print and on the air. His book provides a deep dive into the sad state of voting in the United States and what, if anything, can be done about it. For those of you who have worked hard to “Get Out the Vote,” this is an eye-opening interview that puts things in a proper perspective.

T.J. opens the conversation by joking that, while his guest has done extensive research on the subject of political ignorance, he could have saved time by simply “reading a few conflicting posts on social media.” Professor Somin describes social media as “just the tip of the iceberg” when it comes to political ignorance. In fact, he points out that many people who engage in political discussions on social media may have a deeper awareness of what is transpiring politically than the average voter. However, they may also be far more biased.

Professor Somin defines “political knowledge” and contrasts it with “political ignorance” to provide a clear line of demarcation. He then shares some frightening examples of just how politically ignorant the majority of voters may be. To add a little “icing to the cake,” he also shares what type of non-related events often dictate who wins a local or state election.

There are characteristics that increase the probability of someone casting a vote, but they have little to do with whether that vote will be even remotely “informed.” However, do not despair. Professor Somin explains why there is an argument to be made for “rational ignorance” (i.e., the potential to influence the outcome is not worth the investment in time). He also shares a theory that suggests that political ignorance is okay because voters can leverage shortcuts to gather a superficial level of understanding of the candidates and issues (a theory in which he does not believe).

T.J. thinks the second segment of this interview is one of the most important that has ever aired on Deconstructed. In it, Professor Somin makes a series of extremely important analogies that compare partisan voters to sports fans. From a love for their candidates and commitment to their Party’s positions to a dislike and, in some cases, an absolute hatred of anyone and everything related to the opposing Party. T.J. thinks every partisan voter should listen to this segment and do some soul searching to determine how well the fan analogy describes the way they feel and behave when it comes to political issues.

Professor Somin also examines the impact of opinion leaders in the media. He describes why they are held in high regard by their audiences but probably shouldn’t be. In effect, they are a source that satiates the confirmation bias of a particular Party’s “fans” but offer less in the way of legitimate insight.

Then, T.J. asks what can be done to overcome the impact of political ignorance. Professor Somin describes the power of “foot voting” (moving to a different local, state, or even national jurisdiction). He also cites the advantage of curbing the size of the federal government to heighten the value of foot voting.

In the closing moments, Professor Somin reviews the flawed “restriction of the franchise” method that some theorists support as well as an innovative approach involving paying voters to increase their knowledge that he finds to be worth considering.

If you’re smart, you will take the time to listen to this interesting conversation. If you’re not, feel free to just cast your vote... like the vast majority.