By John Ostapkovitch

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – If you take a dim view of politicians, maybe you should avoid a new book called American Politics in the Age of Ignorance.

If insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, then the American body politic is in need of a rubber room.

The reason, says David Schultz, business professor at Minnesota’s Hamline University, is that political decisions seem to be made for all sorts of reasons other than will it work.

“What we see is the role of special interests in politics, money in politics, partisanship and sometimes willful blindness to the facts, are really creating a scenario now where we’re seeing this happen more and more than in the past.”

For example, he says tax-free enterprise zones don’t create jobs, building an aquarium is no sure-ticket to urban renewal, and tax breaks mean less to business leaders than an educated work force when determining where to locate.

He hopes people use his book to hold politicians accountable.