Why Politics Fails

Why Politics Fails

Why do the revolving doors of power always leave us disappointed? In Why Politics Fails , award-winning Oxford professor Ben Ansell shows that it's not the politicians that are the problem, it's that our collective goals result in five political 'traps'. we all want a say in how we're governed, but it's impossible to have any true 'will of the people'. we want to be treated equally, but equal rights and equal outcomes undermine each other. we want a safety net when times are tough, but often we care about solidarity only when we need it ourselves. we want protecting from harm, but not if it undermines our freedoms. we want to be richer tomorrow, but what makes us richer in the short run makes us poorer over the long haul.You've probably noticed a pattern here, which is that our self-interest undermines our ability to deliver on our collective goals.

Author: Ben Ansell

Pages: 352