ABSTRACT
An important aspect of recent political conflict has been the way it engages the matter of complexity and the related need for specialized knowledge and expertise in shaping responses to important political issues. This chapter explores the matter of complexity as it relates to political processes within democratic political systems. As a candidate for president, Donald Trump had much to offer voters by way of solutions to seemingly difficult and intractable problems. If border control is too porous, put up a wall. If industry has moved away from once prospering regions, withdraw from the trade agreements that allow for importation of goods produced using cheap labor abroad. Complexity challenges the individual's decision-making process. In doing so, it can undermine the individual's confidence in his or her ability to make decisions. An important strategy used to manage the anxiety associated with complexity involves the turn to an authority that assures people that complexity does not exist.
