) translating “wants” into “rights”; and, (3) disrespect for rule-governed practices of Democracy. Each of these is analyzed individually below, followed by a summary analysis of the results.The Growth of Cynicism and the Atrophy of Civil Society. Elshtain (1995: 24-25) notes, “American politics is a miasma….growing cynicism about politics promotes a spiral of delegitimation….Over time, the ‘culture of mistrust’ grows, aided by public scandals; by an ever more litigious and suspicious society; by a determination to ‘get mine’ no matter what may happen to the other guy; and by salacious snooping into the private lives of public figures, which further fuels cynicism about how untrustworthy our leaders are even as we delight in their downfall.” In Maslow’s account of psychological needs once an individual has fulfilled the most basic of needs, their next desire is to fulfill the need for belongingness and self-esteem. In other words, they desire to feel “good” about themselves. Davies (1963: 45) further notes, “Interlocked with the strong urge to have a sense of belonging, of solidarity with others, is the desire to have a sense of equality, related to what Maslow calls self-esteem. This is the need for self-respect, in which the individual says: I am as good as anybody else; I may not be as clever or hard-working as you are, but I am as good as you are.” An individual may attempt to fulfill this need in a positive or negative ways. For instance, a positive fulfillment of this need may be to accomplish a challenging task, one others recognize as a good effort worth recognition; or, to lead a church group, or participate in a non-profit organization, something that binds the individual both to collective accomplishment and personal satisfaction of a job well done. In a negative sense, individuals who lack the ability or opportunity ...
