A recent study
from Princeton and Northwestern concluded that the United States is an
“oligarchy” ruled by a small group of wealthy elites and interest groups.
The central point that
emerges from our research is that economic elites and organized groups
representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S.
government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have
little or no independent influence.
Fortunately
for The Average Joe, however, his stated policy preferences happen to coincide
with the desires of the wealthy elites much of the time, (according to the
study) so even though his views and desires don’t matter in Congress, he
nonetheless sometimes gets what he wants, simply by coincidence. It’s only when
the desires of middle-income Americans are in conflict with the goals of
interest groups and the wealthy elites that he is likely to lose most of the
time:
Not only do ordinary
citizens not have uniquely substantial power over policy decisions; they have
little or no independent influence on policy at all.....To Read More....
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