BC prof: American

American politics is experiencing a downward trend, according to Alan Wolfe's new book Does American Democracy Still Work?

Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College and a professor in the political science department, says that over the past several decades, a disturbing shift has occurred in politics, posing new challenges for American voters.

In a recent interview on NPR's On Point with Tom Ashbrook, Wolfe said that a new type of politics in America has developed in which voters are swayed by their emotions in politics rather than by the facts, leading to an ignorance in voting that has not occurred before.

"In some ways American democracy does still work," said Wolfe on NPR. "The trappings of democracy are still there."

Wolfe's book discusses the basic issues that lead to public ignorance in politics. One contributing factor is the limited amount and type of information used by the public to make decisions on issues. Wolfe has noticed a political trend toward creating public ignorance through fear, as politicians appeal to voters on issues that affect them emotionally.

"Americans have a remarkable way of coming to terms with very contentious issues, splitting differences and finding compromises," said Wolfe. "While appreciating that, it has always been the case that Americans are not avid consumers of newspapers, and we, generally speaking, trust our leaders."

Wolfe also includes accountability as a leading factor in his analysis, saying that democracy without accountability leads to negative leadership in America.

"Elections are for the purpose of holding people accountable for their actions," said Wolfe on NPR. "Americans increasingly have not been calling their politicians accountable."

According to Wolfe, American democracy requires strong political parties in order to function. Political parties today have become increasingly partisan rather than focusing on cultivating strong local ties. Wolfe argues that democracy requires strong institutions and comments that political parties have never been weaker.

"We have the appearance of institutions without institutions," said Wolfe.

Lack of leadership in American politics has evolved such that voters have little expertise in distinguishing issues. Wolfe believes that in a democracy, there should be leadership that allows the people to be heard and positive decisions to be made.

"Our political system now is structured to have followership rather than leadership. It almost makes leadership impossible because everything is so focused such that populism has taken over from the leadership. I believe that Americans actually crave good leadership."

Wolfe explained the risks of generational differences: "Boston College is a special place because it has unique ties to politics. Massachusetts is a state where people are generally well-informed."

This does not divert from the fact that younger generations have not been participating as much in politics. "There has been a trend in younger people moving away from politics. Students need to realize that the issues debated now all affect them."

Wolfe believes that a combination of leadership with wise direction is what American democracy needs.

"What you need is the combination of the notion that leadership really matters with wise and intelligent policies."

Wolfe remains optimistic about the future of American politics: "The recent election was a victory. It showed that people were paying attention to the issues."