Future Publics

Why are democratic systems seemingly unable to deal with long-term issues such as climate change, environmental pollution, and budget deficits? Is democracy itself a part of the problem? Voters are usually focused on their short-term needs, and politicians are motivated to win the next election instead of finding solutions to long-term problems. Some scholars and pundits have wondered whether we will need political systems that are less democratic, or even authoritarian, if we are going to solve long-term problems. Future Publics rejects the idea that having less democracy is going to get us the futures that we think we might want. Despite the short-term dynamics associated with electoral democracy, Michael K. MacKenzie asserts that we need more inclusive and deliberative democracies if we are going to make shared futures that will work for us all.