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Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy

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  • Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy

    Originally posted by BBC
    Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy

    The US is dominated by a rich and powerful elite.

    So concludes a recent study by Princeton University Prof Martin Gilens and Northwestern University Prof Benjamin I Page.

    This is not news, you say.

    Perhaps, but the two professors have conducted exhaustive research to try to present data-driven support for this conclusion. Here's how they explain it:

    Multivariate analysis indicates that economic elites and organised groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on US government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence.

    In English: the wealthy few move policy, while the average American has little power.

    The two professors came to this conclusion after reviewing answers to 1,779 survey questions asked between 1981 and 2002 on public policy issues. They broke the responses down by income level, and then determined how often certain income levels and organised interest groups saw their policy preferences enacted.

    "A proposed policy change with low support among economically elite Americans (one-out-of-five in favour) is adopted only about 18% of the time," they write, "while a proposed change with high support (four-out-of-five in favour) is adopted about 45% of the time."

    On the other hand:

    When a majority of citizens disagrees with economic elites and/or with organised interests, they generally lose. Moreover, because of the strong status quo bias built into the US political system, even when fairly large majorities of Americans favour policy change, they generally do not get it.

    They conclude:

    Americans do enjoy many features central to democratic governance, such as regular elections, freedom of speech and association and a widespread (if still contested) franchise. But we believe that if policymaking is dominated by powerful business organisations and a small number of affluent Americans, then America's claims to being a democratic society are seriously threatened.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-echochambers-27074746

    Here's the study in case anyone fancies a read.

    http://www.princeton.edu/~mgilens/Gi...s%203-7-14.pdf

    So what do you think American posters? Does this feel like it rings true to your experiences of America?

  • #2
    Yes.

    This country went fascist 12.5 years ago - but it had been on the way since 1980.
    AC2- the most active SMAC(X) community on the web.
    JKStudio - Masks and other Art

    No pasarán

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    • #3
      When are you leaving America, Buster?
      Scouse Git (2) La Fayette Adam Smith Solomwi and Loinburger will not be forgotten.
      "Remember the night we broke the windows in this old house? This is what I wished for..."
      2015 APOLYTON FANTASY FOOTBALL CHAMPION!

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      • #4
        When we've finished running off the fascist ad-hominem-instead-of-reason-using foreigners.

        If you don't believe in American freedoms, go back to Nazi Germany where you belong.
        AC2- the most active SMAC(X) community on the web.
        JKStudio - Masks and other Art

        No pasarán

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        • #5
          If the masses weren't stupid (in the way we collectively wield power) it wouldn't be like that. We do still have the vote, we just sell it very cheaply... for some dumb ads and hate/fearmongering.

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          • #6
            The article is true.
            Try http://wordforge.net/index.php for discussion and debate.

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            • #7
              Nothing new in this - strange thing is thogh that americans think they live in a democracy.
              With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.

              Steven Weinberg

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              • #8
                When we've finished running off the fascist ad-hominem-instead-of-reason-using foreigners.
                You fled Texas, when are you fleeing America?
                Scouse Git (2) La Fayette Adam Smith Solomwi and Loinburger will not be forgotten.
                "Remember the night we broke the windows in this old house? This is what I wished for..."
                2015 APOLYTON FANTASY FOOTBALL CHAMPION!

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                • #9
                  This is stupid and incorrect and at least we don't have a literal house of ****ing lords

                  or a queen for that matter

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                  • #10
                    This is stupid and incorrect and at least we don't have a literal house of ****ing lords

                    or a queen for that matter
                    At the very least, America wears the pants in America and hasn't sold out to the EU. What's democratic about selling your nation out to Brussels?
                    Scouse Git (2) La Fayette Adam Smith Solomwi and Loinburger will not be forgotten.
                    "Remember the night we broke the windows in this old house? This is what I wished for..."
                    2015 APOLYTON FANTASY FOOTBALL CHAMPION!

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                    • #11
                      No, Russia is an oligarchy. The tea party is actually proof of our democracy, which is ironic for the authors of this article.
                      If there is no sound in space, how come you can hear the lasers?
                      ){ :|:& };:

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                      • #12
                        Convincing a bunch of racist idiots to do revolutionary war cosplay is proof of our democracy?

                        No wonder we're ****ed.
                        To us, it is the BEAST.

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                        • #13
                          The tea party was a popular grassroots reaction to conservative politicians going along with increasing taxes and spending as part of the usual business of Washington political machinery and lobbying.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by regexcellent View Post
                            The tea party was a popular grassroots reaction to conservative politicians going along with increasing taxes and spending as part of the usual business of Washington political machinery and lobbying.
                            Obvious troll is obvious. At least make Sava work for it before feeding him.
                            I make no bones about my moral support for [terrorist] organizations. - chegitz guevara
                            For those who aspire to live in a high cost, high tax, big government place, our nation and the world offers plenty of options. Vermont, Canada and Venezuela all offer you the opportunity to live in the socialist, big government paradise you long for. –Senator Rubio

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                            • #15
                              I wasn't responding to Sava, I was putting an addendum on HC's post.

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