The Informed Voter
With freedom comes responsibility.
The Informed Voter
One morning on Washington Journal, Representative Bill Pascrell of New Jersey remarked that modern politics has become more “celebrity” than substance. And isn’t that tragic? Too often elections are decided not by a candidate’s ability to govern, nor by their understanding of the world, character, or work ethic—but by how entertaining they appear, or whether they fit a certain image.
Yet this is how many people still choose their leaders: “My granddaddy was a Whig, my daddy was a Whig, and by golly I’m a Whig.” And nothing, not facts, not performance, not character—will change their minds.
In The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies, author Bryan Caplan argues that while democracy should, in theory, protect society from harmful policies, in practice it often shelters them. He asks: How do we solve this paradox? One answer is that elected officials have learned to outmaneuver the people they represent. Another is that many voters simply lack basic political knowledge. They often do not know who represents them or what those representatives do gap that invites politicians to chase personal agendas and cater to donors.
Consider this carefully. As I said yesterday, “With freedom comes responsibility.” But where is that responsibility when public opinion swings wildly from day to day, swayed by political ads as easily as a pendulum? How can propaganda take root in a truly informed mind?
A healthy democracy depends on citizens who think for themselves, seek truth, and refuse to be led by noise. Becoming informed is not just wise, it is a civic duty.
Respectfully,
Elder Steven Parker Miller
Founder of Gatekeeper -Watchman International Groups
Monday, November 24, 2025, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
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