tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412583847145043520.post5939911735237844619..comments2024-03-27T19:01:21.504-06:00Comments on Enik Rising: Now who's being naive, Kay?Seth Maskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17178036016555722068noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412583847145043520.post-41201946599132691012010-09-14T08:39:32.597-06:002010-09-14T08:39:32.597-06:00That sounds like a cool paper. Did you ever read ...That sounds like a cool paper. Did you ever read Rosenblum's "On the Side of the Angels"? She makes the argument that it's parties (or, more specifically, partisans) who sustain the game and put meaning behind politicians' stances.Seth Maskethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17178036016555722068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3412583847145043520.post-74949495309594206342010-09-13T22:40:09.424-06:002010-09-13T22:40:09.424-06:00Good points, all.
I have to say I've wonder...Good points, all. <br /><br />I have to say I've wondered whether some GOP operatives read & believed Richard Brody's great article about "rally around the flag" effects (the key variable that determines whether a rally happens or not is opposition reaction), and that explains a fair part of GOP rejectionism in 1993-1994 and therefore GOP rejectionism this year and last. <br /><br />But to get to the main point...I think that we probably agree, but are just emphasizing different parts of it. Basically, I agree with most of what you, John, and Ezra are saying...but I suspect you agree that sometimes uncertainty or ignorance works in favor of politicians working harder, behaving better, and being more in touch with their districts than is actually necessary. I also would say that there are strong factors leading pols to be paranoid about reelection (and I'm particularly interested here in Members from safe districts, who really shouldn't have much electoral incentive at all -- and that's a lot of districts), and that it really is fantasy to believe that we can hope to overcome that.<br /><br />Actually, in my paper on representation that I really should revise and try to publish at some point, I argue that parties are the insurance that representation isn't all in the rep's head, and I think that's the correct way out of it. Don't know how relevant that is to the general point, but if I'm not publishing it I might as well drop it into blog comments, at least.Jonathan Bernsteinhttp://plainblogaboutpolitics.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com