The Flawed Heuristics Approach

Of this week’s readings, I was most intrigued by Delli Carpini’s argument. Delli Carpini offers a few different theories; however, essentially stating that an informed citizen could constitute any citizen that based political decisions on some rational facet of information. I contend that Delli Carpini perhaps sets the bar too low for what creates an “informed” citizen. In his opening paragraph he generalizes that ‘democracy becomes more responsive and responsible the more informed, and the more equitably informed, is its citizens’ (Delli Carpini 138). I somewhat agree with this point; however, I find fault with his definition of an “informed citizenry”.

Delli Carpini’s major contention is that the American people are poorly informed, but not completely uniformed. He uses several examples of how American’s lack the concrete information of the political world such as names of political leaders, definitions, geographic locations, and political structures. He raises the theory of the “heuristics model”, which contends that Americans may forge political interests informatively, yet remember them through an informal cognition. Essentially, citizens create shortcuts to remember political preferences or policy. In essence, the heuristics model creates an “informed” citizen based on a less intimidating amount of political information. Citizens are able to determine their political preferences or exercise political knowledge through sweeping party stereotypes or other similar generalizations. Is this really an informed public? Or just obedient sheep shepherded by political stereotypes?

I believe Delli Carpini mentions that even though some voters could not even locate Nicaragua, they still voted in favor of candidates who favored military support for Contras. They did this in accordance with heuristic based political shortcuts such as partisanship or values , such as anti-dictatorship ideals. Was that really a politically informed decision? In my mind, the heuristics model represents more of a regurgitation of generalized values being applied to a more specific issue or policy. Real and concrete political decisions and information do not always line up with generalized values or political support. I disagree with Delli Carpini in his contention that the political elites should create a deeper trust with the general public. Let the political experts call the shots, not the emotion-charged opinions of the general public.