Republic on Trial: The Case for Representative Democracy. (Books).

Republic on Trial: The Case for Representative Democracy by Alan Rosenthal, Burdett Loomis, John Hibbing and Karl Kurtz, CQ Press, Washington, D.C., 2002. 219 pages. $22.95. To order call NCSL's Marketing Department [phone] and ask for Item #030423.

It seems the American public has never held political institutions in particularly high esteem. This is especially true of legislatures, and is especially true today. In this book, four well-known political scientists--all of them experienced observers of legislatures--set out to defend the American system of representative democracy.

Along the way they take on the media, the traditional methods of civics education and legislators who campaign by running against the institution. A distrustful public seems to view representative democracy--and particularly the legislative institution--as confusing and messy, filled with politicians who are self-serving and engaged in petty arguments instead of following "the public interest."

As the authors note, "The case against political people, political institutions and political processes is frequently heard. The case for representative democracy also must be heard."

Indeed, the authors make a strong case for representative democracy. One of the keys in this defense is Chapter 2 (What Did the Framers Have in Mind?), a very good basic introduction to the ideas of Madison, Hamilton and the other framers, and why they felt a strong system of representative democracy was essential. Implicit in the discussion is that the system today maintains many of the strengths of representative democracy as envisioned by the framers.

One of the most persuasive arguments in the book is that the American public consistently underestimates the level of conflict and diversity of opinion in the United States. This argument, found especially in chapters 3 and 7, is clearly laid out and supported by survey data and focus group interviews.

This argument is central to the defense of representative government: mediating institutions such as legislatures and interest groups are particularly important in expressing disparate ideas and policy options.

And the public, by consistently and rather naively underestimating the level of conflict and diversity of public opinion also underestimate (and underappreciate) the value of such institutions.

The book is written in a clear, lively style and is intended for a broad audience. It is a book that legislators and staff will appreciate and a book all Americans should read. The authors craft a solid set of arguments for why representative democracy, and the legislature in particular, should be held in higher esteem by a cynical public.