The Wise Voter in a Civil Democracy

Abstract This seminal study seeks to determine whether people deemed to be wise are more likely to uphold the principles of Western democracy in a civil society. Such a study has theoretical and practical significance for understanding the nature of a wise polity, which currently seems at risk. The paper first provides seven propositions that characterize the principles of democracy and civil society from Greek political philosophy to contemporary times. We then outline the principles of wisdom used in making good judgments, essentially good reasoning capacity and a wisdom disposition. The results indicate that the wise voter displays certain characteristics of temperament characterized by taking the long-term view, being tolerant of plural values, balancing self-interest with the common good, seeking to find areas of common interest with others, and showing moderation and temperance in times of rising partisan hatred. These findings contribute significantly to political science research by defining and characterizing the wise voter. The contribution to wisdom research, given that wisdom is domain-specific, is to open another domain of practical wisdom.