Why It's OK to Ignore Politcs

Description

Do you feel like you're the only person at your office without an "I Voted!" sticker on Election Day? It turns out that you're far from alone - 100 million eligible U.S. voters never went to the polls in 2016. That's about 35 million more than voted for the winning presidential candidate. In this book, Christopher Freiman explains why these 100 million need not feel guilty. Why It's OK to Ignore Politics argues that you're under no obligation to be politically active. Freiman addresses new objections to political abstention as well as some old chestnuts ("But what if everyone stopped voting?"). He also synthesizes recent empirical work showing how our political motivations distort our choices and reasoning. Because participating in politics is not an effective way to do good, Freiman argues that we actually have a moral duty to disengage from politics and instead take direct action to make the world a better place. Key Features: Makes the case against a duty of political participation for a non-expert audience Presupposes no knowledge of philosophy or political science and is written in a style free of technical jargon Addresses the standard, much-repeated arguments for why one should vote (e.g., one shouldn't free ride on the efforts of others) Presents the growing literature on politically motivated reasoning in an accessible and entertaining way Covers a significant amount of new ground in the debate over a duty of political participation (e.g., whether participating absolves us of our complicity in state injustice) Challenges the increasingly popular argument from philosophers and economists that swing state voting is effective altruism Discusses the therapeutic benefits of ignoring politics--it's good for you, your relationships, and society as a whole. Cover Half Title Series Title Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgments Introduction In Pursuit of Political Wisdom One Information About Particulars Social Science The Illusion of Explanatory Depth Can We Take a Shortcut? Moral Questions We’re All Partisan Hacks Two Politically Motivated Reasoning The Case for Humility Maybe Everyone Else is a Partisan Hack Is It Hopeless? The Costs and Benefits of Political Three Participation Three The Effectiveness of Political Action Your Participation Doesn’t Promote Your Interests The Public Interest Other Kinds of Consequences Local Politics Effective Altruism and the Opportunity Cost of Political Participation Political Action and Nonpolitical Action: Why Not Do Both? On Ignoring the Root Causes of Injustice What If Your Participation Can Make a Difference? The Case of Swing State Voting Fairness and Free Riding Four The Generalization Argument Free Riding Abstention and Free Riding: A Preliminary Remark The Moral Significance of Nonpolitical Contributions Efficiency and the Division of Labor The Case for Political Contributions What’s a Fitting Return for Political Participation? The Problems in Practice Environmental Goods: A Case Study Motivation Matters The Case for Morally Commendable Free Riding Political Abstention and Complicity in Injustice Five Inaction and Complicity Is Politics Special? How to Absolve Yourself of Complicity in Injustice Political Abstention as Privilege The Morality of the Message Six The Expressive Argument Private and Public Expression The Message of Mere Participation Participation as an Expression of Gratitude Is Political Activism Virtuous? But Can You Still Complain? Political Ignorance Is Bliss Seven Politics Makes Us Miserable Politics Swallows Everything Politics is Bad for Your Relationships Why Not Disown the Other Side? In Defense of Apolitical Politics Conclusion: Why It’s Obligatory to Ignore Politics Notes References Index