Crisis of Democratic Overconfidence

Nat Glazer had it all figured out decades ago. In a 1993 lecture, the author and social scientist identified the foremost conceptual cul-de-sac that had produced so much dysfunction in American cities by the late 1960s — a diagnosis that boiled down to the fact that the people voters elect to manage urban life simply got bored with the job description.

“New York,” Glazer said by way of example, “stopped trying to do well the kinds of things a city can do, and started trying to do the kinds of things a city cannot do.” The city subordinated “keeping its streets and bridges in repair, building new facilities to accommodate new needs and a shifting population, picking up the garbage, and policing the public environment” to grander objectives. But in the pursuit of those lofty goals, cities stopped doing the things cities know how to do and started trying to do things that no one knows how to do. “Among the things it can’t do are redistributing income on a large scale and solving the social and personal problems of people who, for whatever reason, are engaged in self-destructive behavior,” Glazer added.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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Nat Glazer had it all figured out decades ago. In a 1993 lecture, the author and social scientist identified the foremost conceptual cul-de-sac that had produced so much dysfunction in American cities by the late 1960s — a diagnosis that boiled down to the fact that the people voters elect to manage urban life simply got bored with the job description.

“New York,” Glazer said by way of example, “stopped trying to do well the kinds of things a city can do, and started trying to do the kinds of things a city cannot do.” The city subordinated “keeping its streets and bridges in repair, building new facilities to accommodate new needs and a shifting population, picking up the garbage, and policing the public environment” to grander objectives. But in the pursuit of those lofty goals, cities stopped doing the things cities know how to do and started trying to do things that no one knows how to do. “Among the things it can’t do are redistributing income on a large scale and solving the social and personal problems of people who, for whatever reason, are engaged in self-destructive behavior,” Glazer added.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.