americans (reps+dems) dislike norm violations. but some (reps) still vote for norm-breakers. so we're back at vote choice. again. not public opinion abt norm-violations. vote choice. back-sliding is an elite-constraint problem; cant public opinion way out of it.
paper: tinyurl.com/normviopubop...
every time i give a talk on how ppl understand democracy i end with this point: you've got a gnarly collective action problem bc weak party system has been absolutely nuked by entrepreneurial arseholes. the public is what the public is, which is okay-ish with some exceptions. fun equilibrium.
students who come to these things--bless them, for real, may the good karma shower them--always despair about this State of Things. but its like any old social problem: find the local unit, and bend it to its knees. change goes bottom-up is the only way you'll stay sane.
