Contrary to the ideal of a completely engaged electorate,
individuals who have the least interest in a specific outcome
can actually be vital to achieving a democratic consensus. These
individuals dilute the influence of powerful minority factions
who would otherwise dominate everyone else, according to new
research published in the journal Science. A Princeton
University-based research team reports Dec. 16 that this finding
based on group decision-making experiments on fish, as well as
mathematical models and computer simulations can ultimately
provide insights into humans' political behavior. The
researchers report that in animal groups, uninformed individuals
as in those with no prior knowledge or strong feelings on a
situation's outcome tend to side with and embolden the numerical
majority. Relating the results to human political activity, the
study challenges the common notion that an outspoken minority
can manipulate uncommitted voters. "The classic view is that
uninformed or uncommitted individuals may