Public Policy Matters
Rational Public Policy with Common Sense requires a well informed and engaged public. Apathy and indifference won't keep us safe or secure.
June 28, 2025
Rational Public Policy with Common Sense requires a well informed and engaged public. Apathy and indifference won't keep us safe or secure.
June 28, 2025
Community Support - New York, NY 10016 (New York
County)
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Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy
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Contributor's comments:
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."
The theoretical ability to reverse this trend is still within our power, but the political insight, wisdom, courage, and will may not be.
Click to learn more: (opens in a new tab)
https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27074746
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OID: 1636264382 @ 11.07.21 05:53:02 (offset server time)
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Copyright (c) 2009-2025
Home | General Survey | Community Survey | Issues
Groups | Classifieds | Coffee? | Search | OpEd | News
Articles, Columns and Links
Private Benefit Trust welcomes articles, contributions, and links from local journalists, writers, and contributors
Sort by: area | title | recent Or: add or suggest an article
Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy
view | edit | list | share
Contributor's comments:
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."
The theoretical ability to reverse this trend is still within our power, but the political insight, wisdom, courage, and will may not be.
Click to learn more: (opens in a new tab)
https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27074746
Share!
OID: 1636264382 @ 11.07.21 05:53:02 (offset server time)
edit | list articles | add or suggest an article
click here to add your argument or comment (for or against this position)
Are you part of the problem?
News Matters
Home | Contact Us | PBR Development
Copyright (c) 2009-2025