The Atlantic
@TheAtlantic·924K subscribers·2K videos
Politicians Think Voters Are Dumb. Are They Right?
Posted
March 25, 2025
Views
9,533
Likes
275
Comments
188
Engagement
4.86%
March 25, 2025
9,533
275
188
4.86%
Every word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
1:02:17Now PlayingWhat do politicians really think of their voters? A new study looking at 11 different democracies finds that politicians hold an unflattering view of their constituents, while voters view themselves as thoughtful, policy-oriented decision makers. The political scientist Jack Lucas explains why politicians think voters are dumb and why they might be wrong.
Further reading:
“Politicians’ Theories of Voting Behavior () ,” by Jack Lucas, et al.
“Are politicians democratic realists? () ,” by Jack Lucas, Lior Sheffer, and Peter John Loewen
Democracy for RealistsWhy Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government () , by Christopher H. Achen and Larry M. Bartels
“‘Everything Is Terrible, but I’m Fine () ,’” by Derek Thompson
Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzerwinning journalism, from cleareyed analysis and insight on breaking news to fascinating explorations of our world. Subscribe today at TheAtlantic.com/podsub () .
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices ()
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.
