SKU: 157147811

Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government

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Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive GovernmentWhy our belief in government by the people is unrealistic and what we can do about it Democracy for Realists assails the romantic folk theory at the heart of contemporary thinking about democratic politics and government, and offers a provocative alternative view grounded in the actual human nature of democratic citizens. Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels deploy a wealth of social scientific evidence, including ingenious original analyses of topics

Why our belief in government by the people is unrealistic--and what we can do about it

Democracy for Realists assails the romantic folk-theory at the heart of contemporary thinking about democratic politics and government, and offers a provocative alternative view grounded in the actual human nature of democratic citizens.

Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels deploy a wealth of social-scientific evidence, including ingenious original analyses of topics ranging from abortion politics and budget deficits to the Great Depression and shark attacks, to show that the familiar ideal of thoughtful citizens steering the ship of state from the voting booth is fundamentally misguided. They demonstrate that voters--even those who are well informed and politically engaged--mostly choose parties and candidates on the basis of social identities and partisan loyalties, not political issues. They also show that voters adjust their policy views and even their perceptions of basic matters of fact to match those loyalties. When parties are roughly evenly matched, elections often turn on irrelevant or misleading considerations such as economic spurts or downturns beyond the incumbents' control; the outcomes are essentially random. Thus, voters do not control the course of public policy, even indirectly.

Achen and Bartels argue that democratic theory needs to be founded on identity groups and political parties, not on the preferences of individual voters. Now with new analysis of the 2016 elections, Democracy for Realists provides a powerful challenge to conventional thinking, pointing the way toward a fundamentally different understanding of the realities and potential of democratic government.

-- "Choice"

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 08/29/2017
ISBN: 9780691178240
Pages: 408
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 7.90h x 5.20w x 1.20d
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SKU: 157147811

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MNKTJ
Lake Worth, US
★★★★★ 5
Perfect, affordable solution for a second home-office setup
I work from home and occasionally like to office out of a different area of the house, but I didn't want to tear down my entire main rig just to move to another room. I picked this up as a secondary docking station for a more casual monitor setup, and it works perfectly for my needs. Setup & Performance: I have this hooked up to my work laptop and two monitors via HDMI. One thing to keep in mind: you’ll need to provide your own USB-C cable and power brick to juice it up. Just make sure you’re using a high-quality charging block to ensure the dock gets consistent power for all your peripherals. The Value: Compared to the price of a name-brand Dell docking station, the value here is incredible. While the more expensive docks might offer a few extra bells and whistles, this is exactly what I needed without the hefty price tag. Pros: Simple Setup: Very straightforward to get running. Dual Monitor Support: Handles two HDMI monitors with no issues. Compact: Great for a secondary or portable "mini" workstation. Bottom Line: If you’re looking for an easy, inexpensive way to run dual monitors from your laptop in another part of the house, this is the way to go. Great performance for the price!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2026
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CrankyToday
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 5
Works well but pay attention **REVISED**
The device has worked well for me. However potential buyers should note that the 2nd USB C port is reserved for power input from a separately purchased power supply. So the device provides only a single USB C port for attaching devices. I use the device on power from my own computer. So undocking my computer requires some careful steps in the correct sequence: (1) eject all external drives; (2) power down the external display; (3) unplug Anker from computer; (4) remove power from the computer. The device comes at a great price, though, so excellent value. *REVISION* After four months of use, the HDMI port seemed to fail--the monitor was indicating that it was not connected. I wrote to Anker support and received a reply within two hours. The reply told me how to reset the docking station. It worked. Kudoes to Anker Support!
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Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2024
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Chris
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 5
Quality multi display hub
Works as intended, good value for the money and reasonably sized. I am currently running two 4K HDMI monitors on it without an issue. Ready to go out of the box and has a sturdy design, would recommend.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2026
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TAP
Los Angeles, US
★★★★★ 4
Anker support comes through
Update: Anker support contacted me and provided a new unit. On this one, the video works fine, both via HDMI and DisplayPort. I'm much happier now that the unit, which I do like, works properly. There is still one video-related quirk that can be annoying, though, if you often unplug the external monitor from the hub but leave the hub connected to the computer. When I unplug the external monitor from the hub, the hub doesn't tell the computer that the monitor is no longer connected (the same thing happened with the original faulty unit). Since the external monitor is my primary monitor when connected, this leads to an irritating set of steps ending up with disconnecting the hub. I reported this issue to Anker support and they forwarded it to their engineering group. Initial review: I like the form factor and the many connection options. They all work fine EXCEPT that the video (whether DisplayPort or HDMI) keeps dropping out. The computer (MacBook Pro M1 14" running MacOS 13.0.1) thinks the external monitor is there, but nothing shows on the screen for a few seconds, then it comes back on, then off again. Anker support says to try updating the firmware, but to do that requires a Windows computer with a USB-C port. I do not have access to such a machine, so I'm stuck. Since one of the primary reasons I want a hub is to handle the video, I have to return the unit. This is a real disappointment since I otherwise have been very happy with Anker products.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2022
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SeedyROM
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 5
Incredible Quality, Incredible Results!!
AMAZING!! I use my Samsung Z Fold with a Maono Podcast Soundboard for podcasting. Having the phone charge from the soundboard power passthrough was inadequate to keep the phone charged, and generated "noise" in the path. I got the Anker 565 USB-C hub, and routed the power and signal through the Anker hub. WOW!! My phone remains fully charged throughout the podcast, there is ZERO "noise" in the signal, and I can actually do more than ever expected! The quality of Anker products has been proven with me Over and Over with every single product I have purchased. From high-end 240w USB-C cords, to Power Banks, Power Blocks, Bluetooth Earbuds & Headphones, across the board; I have never been disappointed! I highly recommend Anker, and specifically the Anker 565 USB-C hub!!
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Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2025

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