With the rise of powerful corporations and the generation of tremendous inequalities in the private economy, popular democrats reversed their position and favored expanded powers for the federal government. In the contemporary period, elites have appealed for states rights or local control in order to protect elite privileges. In foreign policy, elite democrats continue to favor concentrating decision making in the hands of the few in the executive branch, while popular democrats continue to be suspicious of centralized power. The premise of the book is that the consensus view of American politics distorts reality. Americans disagree not just about specific policies but about the fundamental rules of the game.
People are naturally inclined to participate in decisions that affect their lives.
It is easy to become confused by the bewildering complexity of American politics. The ideas of elite and popular democracy can serve as an interpretive framework to help us make sense of American politics. For an example of how political facts do not simply speak for themselves, consider how elite democrats and popular democrats view the lack of participation in elections. For elite democrats, the fact that only about half the people participate in presidential elections is a sign of a healthy democracy. People are not naturally inclined to participate in politics.