How Dumb Are We?

Phil Toledano, in his article "How Dumb Are We?" argues that civic ignorance, as it pertains to the average American, is out of control.  Citing statistics from several polls, Toledano argues that there is a great chasm between American citizens and our European counterparts when it comes to our understanding our government and how it works.  Toledano is quick to point out that not having an understanding of the civic sphere here in the U.S. is nothing new, and he cites a yearly shift between those who "know" and those who "don't" as evidence.  Toledano states that this culture of ignorance has remained roughly the same since WWII and has only changed slightly (1% since WWII).  

After his opening remarks, Toledano takes a turn as he begins to lay out his opinion as to the why this ignorance is so rampant.  He follows this up by giving us his solution to the problem.  He begins with the complexities of the U.S. government first, and then he strolls through income inequality, he takes a jab at the public market and education, and finally he ends up on the budget.  Through out the article, Toledano makes several legitimate points, and in fact, I was drinking the Kool-Aid for the first few paragraphs.  However, by the end of the article, I felt the Toledano's argument had fallen apart.  

In one section he gives the complex U.S. government as one of the reasons for the average citizen's ignorance, but by the end he as also complained about those who call for a simplified government.  At another point, Toledano agrees with those calling for government run schools (inferred of course), this is ironic considering that at this point, if the federal government were a business, it would rest atop the heap when it comes to management. 

I find myself on the fence on some of these issues for sure, but that's only because of the complexity that Toledano speaks of.  This coupled with a limited amount of information of what is truly going on behind closed doors makes coming up with absolutes nearly impossible.  I think what I have the most trouble with in terms of Toledano's article is the fact that the very same ignorance that he is charging the American public with, he is basing his conclusion on.  Granted, knowing how the country we live in works is beneficial, but the reality is that it is virtually impossible to understand something that is not absolute absolutely.