If there is a dominant conceit among commentators on American politics, it is that national politics are somehow artificial when compared with the rich, grounded reality of our state and local democracies. Every day on cable news, Washington politicians are castigated for being “out of touch” while local officials are treated like they have their fingers on the pulse of popular sentiment. … But the veneration of local politics is based on a basic misunderstanding of how voters behave. [cont.]
David Schleicher, George Mason U.