Introduction

Neighbors get together to discuss what they can do about preventing burglaries in their part of town. At the state capitol, the legislature debates a proposal to reduce air pollution. At a nearby convention, manufacturers of electronic equipment discuss a legislative proposal to raise tariffs on imports from Japan. In the countryside, angry farmers debate how to deal with a neighbor who sells his milk as usual instead of dumping it to support their boycott. A voter wonders whether reading the voter’s pamphlet is worth the time it takes, and indeed, whether voting itself is worth it.