Are Americans too ignorant and gullible to self-govern?

Americans are too ignorant and easily misled to democratically govern a complex modern society.

That is not my statement, nor is it recent. A century ago, a young media star of the day by the name of Walter Lippmann, wrote Public Opinion about exactly this thesis, marshalling considerable evidence and logic. An older educator and philosopher of that day, John Dewey, responded: If USians are too ignorant of the operations of an industrial society, let's improve journalism, and if we are too easily misled, let's improve public education. Of course I am radically oversimplifying, but that is the essence of the Lippman-Dewey debate.

When I taught digital journalism, I assigned readings about the debate and divided the class in half. Each half would argue on behalf of either Lippman or Dewey. Then I asked them to raise their hand if they were willing to lose it betting on Lippman, then asked for hands willing to wager themselves on \Dewey's ideas about American self-governance. (another source)

Today, which argument would you be willing to stake a hand on?