Article: People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Flourish, Scientists Say

As the article explains "The democratic process relies on the assumption that citizens (the majority of them, at least) can recognize the best political candidate, or best policy idea, when they see it. But a growing body of research has revealed an unfortunate aspect of the human psyche that would seem to disprove this notion, and imply instead that democratic elections produce mediocre leadership and policies." I found this article interesting as a social studies teacher. I am constantly working to help my students read, write, and think independently and critically. The article  concludes with "Nagel concluded that democracies rarely or never elect the best leaders. Their advantage over dictatorships or other forms of government is merely that they "effectively prevent lower-than-average candidates from becoming leaders." Definitely a thought provoking piece.