Many readers seem to enjoy these “If only we could” books. “If only we could reform campaign laws.” “If only we could fix our litigious culture of pestiferous lawsuits.” “If only we could get back on the gold standard.” Then all would be well.
Most of these volumes stop short of outright utopianism, but their authors often indulge in wishful, simplistic thinking. It’s not surprising that such books are popular. Who wouldn’t want to tackle our most urgent problems by identifying a clear villain and implementing a straightforward solution?
The “if only” premise of Tony Woodlief’s “I, Citizen” hinges on repudiating the partisan ruling class in Washington, D.C. that is destroying self-government. But Woodlief’s contribution to this genre contains some ironies. Much of his book is devoted to disparaging false dichotomies. He claims that American politics is fuzzier and more complicated than opinion polls tell us. Yet the book often avoids confrontation with hard questions.
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