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  • Nobody Wants To Be A Politician Now

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    Peter Orszag
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    Young people are disaffected with the political process and lack any interest in running for office, a new book by Jennifer Lawless of American University and Richard Fox of Loyola Marymount University demonstrates. Yet the book itself perhaps unintentionally underscores one of the key reasons why: We know too much about our politicians.

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    Nobody Wants to Be a Politician Now

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    Young people are disaffected with the political process and lack any interest in running for office, a new book by Jennifer Lawless of American University and Richard Fox of Loyola Marymount University demonstrates. Yet the book itself perhaps unintentionally underscores one of the key reasons why: We know too much about our politicians.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    19 views2 pages

    Nobody Wants To Be A Politician Now

    Uploaded by

    Peter Orszag
    Young people are disaffected with the political process and lack any interest in running for office, a new book by Jennifer Lawless of American University and Richard Fox of Loyola Marymount University demonstrates. Yet the book itself perhaps unintentionally underscores one of the key reasons why: We know too much about our politicians.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 2

    6/3/2015

    Nobody Wants to Be a Politician Now - Bloomberg View

    P OL ITIC S

    NobodyWantstoBeaPolitician
    Now

    MAY11,20159:24AMEDT

    ByPeterR.Orszag

    aA

    Youngpeoplearedisaffectedwiththepoliticalprocessandlackanyinterestinrunningforoffice,
    anewbookbyJenniferLawlessofAmericanUniversityandRichardFoxofLoyolaMarymount
    Universitydemonstrates.Yetthebookitselfperhapsunintentionallyunderscoresoneofthekey
    reasonswhy:Weknowtoomuchaboutourpoliticians.
    Thereare519,682electedofficialsintheU.S.,theauthorsnote,thevastmajorityofwhomhold
    localjobstheyaremayors,citycouncilors,schoolboardmembers,coronersorrecordersofdeeds.
    Itisessentialtotheeffectivefunctioningofgovernmentwithoutwhichthenationcannot
    succeedthatcompetentpeoplearewillingtorunfortheseoffices.
    Yet,inanovelsurveythatLawlessandFoxconductedofmorethan2,000highschoolstudents
    andmorethan2,000collegestudents,youngpeopleexpressedabroadaversiontoservingin
    publicoffice.Almost90percentsaidtheywouldn'tevenconsiderit.Thestudentssaidtheytendto
    avoiddiscussingpoliticalissuesaltogether.
    Itwouldbeusefultoknowwhatsimilarstudentswouldhavesaidinthe1960sor'70s.Welack
    thosedata,sotheauthorscanonlyassert,notshow,thatthisvastdisaffectionisanew
    phenomenon.YetImwillingtogivethemthebenefitofthedoubtonthat,inpartbecausewe
    knowthatoveralltrustingovernmenthasdeteriorateddramaticallyoverthepastseveraldecades.
    Theauthorsconcludethatourpoliticalsystemwillthriveonlyifalargenumberofpeopleaspire
    onedaytorunforoffice.Forthatreason,ourresultsultimatelypaintagrimpictureaboutthe
    prospectsforanengagedcitizenryandahealthydemocracy.Ourbrightestandmostableyoung
    http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-05-11/nobody-wants-to-be-a-politician-now

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    6/3/2015

    Nobody Wants to Be a Politician Now - Bloomberg View

    citizensaregenerallynotopentoseekingorholdingpositionsofpoliticalpower.
    Onedriverofyoungpeople'sbroadlackofinterestinpoliticsispolarization.Asthenationhas
    dividedintomutuallyantagonisticcampsandpoliticaldiscussionshavebecomedominatedby
    moreheatthanlight,youngpeoplehavebeenturnedoff.(Andbytheway,Iagreeentirelywith
    AnnieLowreyofNewYorkmagazinethat,despitethenewsmediaportrayaltothecontrary,a
    recentFacebookstudydoesnothingtodispelthenotionthatsocialmediahaveexacerbated
    polarization,bycreatingfilterbubblesamonglikemindedpeople.)
    ThesecondproblemgoesundiscussedbyLawlessandFox,andyetitisilluminatedintheirbook
    bythejuxtapositionoftheirpositivecommentaryabouthowJohnF.Kennedyinspireda
    generationofpublicservantsandthechapterthattheybeginbyrecountingthescandaloustrials
    andtribulationsofpoliticianslikeJohnEdwards,MarkSanfordandDavidVitter.Givenwhatwe
    knownowabouthispersonallife,dowereallybelievethatKennedywouldhavesurvivedtodays
    mediascrutiny,letalonebeenelectedpresident?Idoubtit.
    Youngpeopleaspiretobebusinessexecutivesmuchmorethanpoliticians,LawlessandFoxshow,
    partlybecausepoliticiansareseenasineffective.ButIsuspectit'salsoinpartbecause,asthe
    sayinggoes,nopersonisaherotohisvalet.We'veallbecometheinformationalequivalentof
    valetstoourpoliticalleaders,andtheynolongerseemlikeheroes.
    Tocontacttheauthoronthisstory:
    PeterOrszagatporszag3@bloomberg.net
    Tocontacttheeditoronthisstory:
    MaryDuenwaldatmduenwald@bloomberg.net

    http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-05-11/nobody-wants-to-be-a-politician-now

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