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Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Major Study Finds The US Is An Oligarchy
Posted by:
Elites rule the US not majority
()
Date: April 17, 2014 08:19PM
Politics More: Oligarchs United States of America The Telegraph
Major Study Finds The US Is An Oligarchy
The Telegraph
Zachary Davies Boren, The Telegraph
Apr. 16, 2014, 8:16 AM 110,127 136
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ronald reagan gerald ford george hw bush
AP
The U.S. 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, "Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens" (PDF), used extensive policy data collected between 1981 and 2002 to empirically determine the state of the U.S. political system.
After sifting through nearly 1,800 U.S. 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 U.S. 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 organized 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 U.S. government policies rarely align with the preferences of the majority of Americans, but do favour special interests and lobbying organizations: "When a majority of citizens disagrees with economic elites and/or with organized 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 interests of the average American being served almost exclusively when it also serves those of the richest 10%.
The theory of "biased pluralism" that the Princeton and Northwestern researchers believe the U.S. system fits holds that policy outcomes "tend to tilt towards the wishes of corporations and business and professional associations."
The study comes after McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, a controversial piece of legislation passed in the Supreme Court that abolished campaign-contribution limits, and record low approval ratings for the U.S. Congress.
Major Study Finds The US Is An Oligarchy
The Telegraph
Zachary Davies Boren, The Telegraph
Apr. 16, 2014, 8:16 AM 110,127 136
google+
ronald reagan gerald ford george hw bush
AP
The U.S. 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, "Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens" (PDF), used extensive policy data collected between 1981 and 2002 to empirically determine the state of the U.S. political system.
After sifting through nearly 1,800 U.S. 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 U.S. 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 organized 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 U.S. government policies rarely align with the preferences of the majority of Americans, but do favour special interests and lobbying organizations: "When a majority of citizens disagrees with economic elites and/or with organized 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 interests of the average American being served almost exclusively when it also serves those of the richest 10%.
The theory of "biased pluralism" that the Princeton and Northwestern researchers believe the U.S. system fits holds that policy outcomes "tend to tilt towards the wishes of corporations and business and professional associations."
The study comes after McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, a controversial piece of legislation passed in the Supreme Court that abolished campaign-contribution limits, and record low approval ratings for the U.S. Congress.
Re: Major Study Finds The US Is An Oligarchy
Posted by:
LTUE3
()
Date: April 17, 2014 09:27PM
The latest ruling by the Supreme court backs that up. Corps are people? Why sure! Unlimited Campaign financing! GO RIGHT AHEAD! BUY the GOVERNMENT!
Re: Major Study Finds The US Is An Oligarchy
Posted by:
Autocracy
()
Date: April 17, 2014 09:29PM
^^^^^
You forgot to mention the Koch brothers dipshit. Please stay on script: Soros - good; Kochs - bad. Rinse and repeat.
You forgot to mention the Koch brothers dipshit. Please stay on script: Soros - good; Kochs - bad. Rinse and repeat.
Re: Major Study Finds The US Is An Oligarchy
Posted by:
Do as I say, not...
()
Date: April 17, 2014 09:30PM
LTUE3 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The latest ruling by the Supreme court backs that
> up. Corps are people? Why sure! Unlimited
> Campaign financing! GO RIGHT AHEAD! BUY the
> GOVERNMENT!
The unions and lib foundations have been doing it for years.
-------------------------------------------------------
> The latest ruling by the Supreme court backs that
> up. Corps are people? Why sure! Unlimited
> Campaign financing! GO RIGHT AHEAD! BUY the
> GOVERNMENT!
The unions and lib foundations have been doing it for years.
Re: Major Study Finds The US Is An Oligarchy
Posted by:
and...
()
Date: April 17, 2014 09:39PM
And the powers that be use the right where it suits them and the left where it suits. Why don't people get that through their heads? Geniuses are both right and left brained and simpletons are either right or left...
Re: Major Study Finds The US Is An Oligarchy
Posted by:
Debbie Downer Democrat XDD
()
Date: April 17, 2014 09:41PM
Autocracy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ^^^^^
>
> You forgot to mention the Koch brothers dipshit.
> Please stay on script: Soros - good; Kochs - bad.
> Rinse and repeat.
Yup - the bad Koch brothers. How many private jets parked on the Dulles airport runway on inauguration day again? Quite a contrast to Obama's typical speech where he keeps spewing on how the wages need to get raised, more jobs have to be created ... yeah, yeah, yeah. I could fall asleep listening to that blabbering idiot.
-------------------------------------------------------
> ^^^^^
>
> You forgot to mention the Koch brothers dipshit.
> Please stay on script: Soros - good; Kochs - bad.
> Rinse and repeat.
Yup - the bad Koch brothers. How many private jets parked on the Dulles airport runway on inauguration day again? Quite a contrast to Obama's typical speech where he keeps spewing on how the wages need to get raised, more jobs have to be created ... yeah, yeah, yeah. I could fall asleep listening to that blabbering idiot.
Re: Major Study Finds The US Is An Oligarchy
Posted by:
WONT GET FOOLED AGAIN
()
Date: April 17, 2014 09:49PM
Obama knows he is a piece of shit.
I hate him more than most because I actually fell for his lies, he seemed like he could be a good guy, but these days, when you listen to him talk he is vacant. I feel so stupid, we should have seen it coming, after all, he is from the capital of corruption Chicago. How dumb I was, I admit, and now I despise him.
obama has that same smirk that Bush had. obama knows his set for life. obama doesnt care about this country. oabam is not a real leader, his is a shill. when you see him speak these days his is vacant, just reading the words prepped for him and not giving a shit what they mean. obama is just another bought and paid for piece of shit.
I hate him more than most because I actually fell for his lies, he seemed like he could be a good guy, but these days, when you listen to him talk he is vacant. I feel so stupid, we should have seen it coming, after all, he is from the capital of corruption Chicago. How dumb I was, I admit, and now I despise him.
obama has that same smirk that Bush had. obama knows his set for life. obama doesnt care about this country. oabam is not a real leader, his is a shill. when you see him speak these days his is vacant, just reading the words prepped for him and not giving a shit what they mean. obama is just another bought and paid for piece of shit.
Re: Major Study Finds The US Is An Oligarchy
Posted by:
Debbie Downer Democrat XDD
()
Date: April 17, 2014 09:52PM
Is there any truth to that rumor last week; a house sold for $16 Million in Georgetown and at the time, it was believed to be that the Obamas bought it. The name was concealed. Granted, we know that they don't have $16 large, but they have plenty of cash-rich followers that would probably have no issue with buying the digs for them.
Re: Major Study Finds The US Is An Oligarchy
Posted by:
Hey Fuck Heads!
()
Date: April 17, 2014 10:59PM
hey fuckheads, from the right and the left. The story basically tells you that ALL THE POLITICIANS ARE FOR THE RICH AND FILTHY! So ALL OF YOUR PARTISAN BITCHING AN TROLLING? YEAH DOESNT FUCKING MATTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: Major Study Finds The US Is An Oligarchy
Posted by:
likely..
()
Date: April 18, 2014 12:26PM
Hey Fuck Heads! Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> hey fuckheads, from the right and the left. The
> story basically tells you that ALL THE POLITICIANS
> ARE FOR THE RICH AND FILTHY! So ALL OF YOUR
> PARTISAN BITCHING AN TROLLING? YEAH DOESNT
> FUCKING MATTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I used to think they were all stupid and just didn't get it. But, that was naïve of me. They for the most part get it and just don't give a damn. They are living in a world that suits them and will never move out of their comfort zones.
Its nothing but Intellectual Football with these people...
They love the strong and hate the weak and never seem to get that they are the weak too. The Gods they serve can someday make them beggars as well...
-------------------------------------------------------
> hey fuckheads, from the right and the left. The
> story basically tells you that ALL THE POLITICIANS
> ARE FOR THE RICH AND FILTHY! So ALL OF YOUR
> PARTISAN BITCHING AN TROLLING? YEAH DOESNT
> FUCKING MATTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I used to think they were all stupid and just didn't get it. But, that was naïve of me. They for the most part get it and just don't give a damn. They are living in a world that suits them and will never move out of their comfort zones.
Its nothing but Intellectual Football with these people...
They love the strong and hate the weak and never seem to get that they are the weak too. The Gods they serve can someday make them beggars as well...