election demographics

[Brad DeLong]

>As I see it, national elections in the United States are in
>the mystical, church-like category.  Participation is rational
>if the participants get a good feeling out of it, but it is
>not an expression of collective will -- the will of the
>individual non-elite participant doesn't matter.

Except that the individual non-elite participant--hell, the 
individual elite participant--doesn't have a separate, individualized 
"will". What I "will" and think is the result of a lot of social 
interactions I have had and will have. And so everything I "will" is 
simultaneously willed by all those others who have been affected by 
similar social interactions in the same way.

The fact that other people will what I will greatly amplifies the 
power of my will, if you get the drift...

Brad DeLong