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democratization in Russia and the former Soviet bloc after the fall of the Soviet Union,
and various Endowment for Democracy Projects around the world.
Such efforts appear to be in general harmony with the wishes of the American
public. But in this realm, as in virtually all other aspects of foreign policy, most
Americans generally prefer multilateralism and international cooperation to unilateral
action.
The Puzzle of Disagreement between Citizens and Officials
In this chapter, more than in chapter 4, we have noted a number of rather clear
discrepancies between the policies favored by most American citizens and the policies
actually pursued by government officials. How is this possible? How, in a democracy
like ours, can officials be elected and reelected if their policies defy the wishes of the
citizenry?
We will address this question more thoroughly in chapter 7, giving a systematic
picture of just how frequent the disagreements between citizens and officials have been
over the years, and then considering why such disagreements occur and persist. Here,
however, we can briefly mention some factors that may help explain them.
The key point is that politicians who oppose policies that most Americans favor
may nonetheless be popular and win elections, because ordinary citizens’ policy
preferences are not the only factors affecting popularity or the outcome of elections.
Non-policy factors like candidates’ personalities, “character,” and perceived competence
attract votes from some people who dislike politicians’ specific issue stands. Moreover,
not all citizens vote; only about half do so, even in presidential elections , so that many
Convention