Recent polls show that only 29% believe the country is headed in the right direction. Only 16% approve of the job congress is doing. How is this possible in a country where citizens have authority over government?
The following are universal thinking errors.
1.) Americans are independent minded and autonomous when they vote.
2.) Politicians seek office out of a desire to serve.
How is it then that Americans are constantly dissatisfied with the results they get in government? If those two assertions are true, there is no way the country could be in its current situation.
The answer is simple. Americans are not independent minded and autonomous. Politicians do not seek office out of a need to serve.
The Common Sense Economics political model makes realistic assumptions about human behavior. Rather than act think independently and act autonomously, people act compulsively when making political decision, in line with instinctive behavior.
Our system of government gives citizens authority over government but they are unable to assert authority because they are instinctively prone to worship leaders. Politicians run for office to attain power. Goodness does not even enter into the picture.
Humans instinctively engage in collective action and relate to government much like a child relates to a parent. As a concept, the idea of freedom is only about 600 years old. For all previous years people served masters. People are legally free but they are still hardwired to serve a master.
So, if one is trying to make sense out of politics, throw out the bad assumptions, know that people act compulsively out of instinct and things start coming together.