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  • The US is an oligarchy, study concludes

    Report by researchers from Princeton and Northwestern universities suggests that US political system serves special interest organisations, instead of voters

    The US government does not represent the interests of the majority of the country's citizens, but is instead ruled by those of the rich and powerful, a new study from Princeton and Northwestern Universities has concluded.

    The report, entitled Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens, used extensive policy data collected from between the years of 1981 and 2002 to empirically determine the state of the US political system.

    After sifting through nearly 1,800 US policies enacted in that period and comparing them to the expressed preferences of average Americans (50th percentile of income), affluent Americans (90th percentile) and large special interests groups, researchers concluded that the United States is dominated by its economic elite.

    The peer-reviewed study, which will be taught at these universities in September, says: "The central point that emerges from our research is that economic elites and organised groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on US government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence."

    Researchers concluded that US government policies rarely align with the the preferences of the majority of Americans, but do favour special interests and lobbying organisations: "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."

    The positions of powerful interest groups are "not substantially correlated with the preferences of average citizens", but the politics of average Americans and affluent Americans sometimes does overlap. This is merely a coincidence, the report says, with the the interests of the average American being served almost exclusively when it also serves those of the richest 10 per cent.

    The theory of "biased pluralism" that the Princeton and Northwestern researchers believe the US system fits holds that policy outcomes "tend to tilt towards the wishes of corporations and business and professional associations."

    The study comes in the wake of McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, a controversial Supreme Court decision which allows wealthy donors to contribute to an unlimited number of political campaigns.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...concludes.html
    No such thing as a good tax - Churchill

    To make mistakes is human. To blame someone else for your mistake, is strategic.

  • #2
    Originally posted by Doktor View Post
    Report by researchers from Princeton and Northwestern universities suggests that US political system serves special interest organisations, instead of voters

    The US government does not represent the interests of the majority of the country's citizens, but is instead ruled by those of the rich and powerful, a new study from Princeton and Northwestern Universities has concluded.

    The report, entitled Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens, used extensive policy data collected from between the years of 1981 and 2002 to empirically determine the state of the US political system.

    After sifting through nearly 1,800 US policies enacted in that period and comparing them to the expressed preferences of average Americans (50th percentile of income), affluent Americans (90th percentile) and large special interests groups, researchers concluded that the United States is dominated by its economic elite.

    The peer-reviewed study, which will be taught at these universities in September, says: "The central point that emerges from our research is that economic elites and organised groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on US government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence."

    Researchers concluded that US government policies rarely align with the the preferences of the majority of Americans, but do favour special interests and lobbying organisations: "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."

    The positions of powerful interest groups are "not substantially correlated with the preferences of average citizens", but the politics of average Americans and affluent Americans sometimes does overlap. This is merely a coincidence, the report says, with the the interests of the average American being served almost exclusively when it also serves those of the richest 10 per cent.

    The theory of "biased pluralism" that the Princeton and Northwestern researchers believe the US system fits holds that policy outcomes "tend to tilt towards the wishes of corporations and business and professional associations."

    The study comes in the wake of McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, a controversial Supreme Court decision which allows wealthy donors to contribute to an unlimited number of political campaigns.

    The US is an oligarchy, study concludes - Telegraph
    UK is the same but UKIP is making massive inroads into their strongholds , unelected megga bucks camoron n his coalition shysters are heading for a big fall thanks to N Farage and UKIP who is rekindling my interest in politics .The shites have just awarded thereselves a 12% payrise while nurses , military , essential services etc have to be told to tighten their belts and accept a 1 percent payrise while the cost of living rises , but not for the c###s who are in power while sitting on their millions .The UK being one of the richest nations gives away billions while its own citizens are now becoming dependent on food banks , go figure
    Last edited by tankie; 18 Apr 14,, 13:16.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Doktor View Post
      The US government does not represent the interests of the majority of the country's citizens
      The US government is not suppose to represent the interest of the majority. We are a republic, not a democracy. They are suppose to represent the law of the land.

      Comment


      • #4
        I always thought we lived by golden rule.
        "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!" B. Franklin

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by omon View Post
          I always thought we lived by golden rule.
          Would that be

          "He who owns the gold, makes the rules"

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Gun Grape View Post
            Would that be

            "He who owns the gold, makes the rules"


            Is it any wonder that those who own the gold wants so desperately to disarm the rest.
            Removing a single turd from the cesspool doesn't make any difference.

            Comment


            • #7
              bonehead,

              Is it any wonder that those who own the gold wants so desperately to disarm the rest.
              heh, if that's so i guarantee you the gun landscape would look far different than today. NRA has never been stronger.
              There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "My ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."- Isaac Asimov

              Comment


              • #8
                bullfrog,

                The US government is not suppose to represent the interest of the majority. We are a republic, not a democracy. They are suppose to represent the law of the land.
                that's not quite what a republic is, either. that's just any gov with the rule of law.

                more accurately the republican form of government IS supposed to represent the interests of the majority (as well as the minority, of course). it is, however, left to the representatives to decide how best to carry out the interests.

                this was a huge Republican talking point in the 80s/90s about how they distinguished themselves from the populist Dems-- largely to explain why they voted for policies that just-so-incidentally benefited the elite most of all.
                There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "My ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."- Isaac Asimov

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by astralis View Post
                  this was a huge Republican talking point in the 80s/90s about how they distinguished themselves from the populist Dems-- largely to explain why they voted for policies that just-so-incidentally benefited the elite most of all.
                  The Democrats don't do that?
                  No such thing as a good tax - Churchill

                  To make mistakes is human. To blame someone else for your mistake, is strategic.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    doktor,

                    of course they do. but dems have a different set of hypocrises (as do the republicans today).
                    There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "My ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."- Isaac Asimov

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Free trade (out flow of wealth) as opposed to fair trade combined with tax laws that encourage keeping profits off shore combined with massive corporate welfare have crushed the American Dream. Both parties establishments are guilty of backing the the 1% of 1% over everyone else. So ya we are an Oligarchy or a Banktocracy.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by astralis View Post
                        bonehead,



                        heh, if that's so i guarantee you the gun landscape would look far different than today. NRA has never been stronger.
                        Sorry but no. The big financial backing for even more gun control comes from the 1% and the government. Of course the NRA has never been stronger. The NRA is the front that protects our Constitutional rights which are threatened by more and more special interests groups every day.
                        Removing a single turd from the cesspool doesn't make any difference.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Good study, but hardly news. See The Irony of Democracy: An Uncommon Introduction to American Politics, which had ran sixteen editions. It makes the argument via statistical studies and the detailed examination of the legislative record that most high-powered politicians, campaign donations and public policy originated from and usually serves the interest of a group of well-neigh hereditary elites, and the political system is structured in a way that insulates the ruling organs from democratic will. The people's real (as opposed to apparent) freedom of choice is highly constrained. It also suggest that ultimately all political systems are in some sense oligarchic.

                          Don't take it as a jibe, Doktor, just thought it a good place to throw in a text book I really enjoyed.
                          Last edited by Triple C; 03 May 14,, 09:08.
                          All those who are merciful with the cruel will come to be cruel to the merciful.
                          -Talmud Kohelet Rabbah, 7:16.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Whereas the study points out problems particular to the US, the ultimate conclusion is intellectually lazy at best.

                            The study concludes that the "that economic elites and organised groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on US government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence" (emphasis mine).

                            Oligarchy, by contrast, signifies a "small group of people having control of a country or organization" (emphasis mine).

                            The inability to distinguish the inequality of influence from that of direct control is indicative of how those reading the study have willfully distorted its conclusion. In no way does it undermine the biased pluralism of a constitutional republic.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Doktor View Post
                              Report by researchers from Princeton and Northwestern universities suggests that US political system serves special interest organisations, instead of voters

                              The US government does not represent the interests of the majority of the country's citizens, but is instead ruled by those of the rich and powerful, a new study from Princeton and Northwestern Universities has concluded.

                              The report, entitled Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens, used extensive policy data collected from between the years of 1981 and 2002 to empirically determine the state of the US political system.

                              After sifting through nearly 1,800 US policies enacted in that period and comparing them to the expressed preferences of average Americans (50th percentile of income), affluent Americans (90th percentile) and large special interests groups, researchers concluded that the United States is dominated by its economic elite.

                              The peer-reviewed study, which will be taught at these universities in September, says: "The central point that emerges from our research is that economic elites and organised groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on US government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence."

                              Researchers concluded that US government policies rarely align with the the preferences of the majority of Americans, but do favour special interests and lobbying organisations: "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."

                              The positions of powerful interest groups are "not substantially correlated with the preferences of average citizens", but the politics of average Americans and affluent Americans sometimes does overlap. This is merely a coincidence, the report says, with the the interests of the average American being served almost exclusively when it also serves those of the richest 10 per cent.

                              The theory of "biased pluralism" that the Princeton and Northwestern researchers believe the US system fits holds that policy outcomes "tend to tilt towards the wishes of corporations and business and professional associations."

                              The study comes in the wake of McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, a controversial Supreme Court decision which allows wealthy donors to contribute to an unlimited number of political campaigns.

                              The US is an oligarchy, study concludes - Telegraph

                              Dok: They're not describing an oligarchy, nor do they mention the word, but I see your point. In fact, what their research shows is that nothing much has changed in the US since 1789. The rich and well-connected have always influenced legislation, but the legislators can't afford to ignore what the common folk want...I mean, they need votes to get elected, and there are not enough rich people to outvote ordinary citizens. And I'll go out on a limb here and speculate that not everything the rich, business types want is against the interests of the people. Our early railroad barons bribed every legislator in sight to get subsidies and land concessions from the government, but in the end, the people got a railroad system that greatly benefited them and the economy. And we have tons of regulations affecting the aircraft, automobile and food industries, and so on, all designed with the public in mind. etc...
                              To be Truly ignorant, Man requires an Education - Plato

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