Maggie's Farm

Women tend to be better-informed about local issues, such as school board, selectmen, zoning changes. Which, when you think of it, is much more likely to be a place where your opinion and effort matter. I'm just not that interested. But half a dozen people call our house the night before elections and ask my wife who to vote for on those down-ticket races.

On the larger issue, the amount of ignorance should make representative government unworkable. Really, there's no way this should work. Somehow it does, not brilliantly, but well enough. It is pure speculation, but I think it is some combination of avoiding the very worst problems of more authoritarian forms of government, plus the added peacefulness we feel because we at least have some sense of agency. The mere sense of agency reduces stress, so I suppose it could also increase comfort.