The presidency was neither designed nor expected to act in concert
with the American people; the Framers intended Congress to
represent the popular will. Thanks in part to public outrage at
Congressional abuses of power, Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson
led mass movements that forced major changes in the presidency,
electoral politics, and national policy.
Contemporary presidents are elected on the promise of being the
direct representative of the people. There is an implicit deal
between the president and voters: election to office in return for
responsiveness to voter concerns. As "The Policy Partnership"
shows, this relationship has been crumbling for some time.
Presidents frequently break campaign promises and make unpopular
decisions, while the public rarely bands together to demand
attention to policy concerns. Many people simply do not vote;
political elites take advantage of this indifference to advance
their own agendas.
Bruce Buchanan explores the presidential elections of thelast
half-century to answer pressing questions created by this
situation: What has become of the policy relationship potential
created by presidential elections? To what degree do candidates and
presidents take voter policy concerns into account before and after
elections? How much influence do voters really have on presidential
policy? What can be done to increase voter participation and
presidential responsiveness?
The central question of democratic politics comes down to the
relationship between popular electoral choices and public policy:
if voters can't influence what government does, then what is the
point of democracy?
General
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