Rishi, Week 10: Questions About the Fallacy of American Democracy
Questions About the Fallacy of American Democracy
Who holds the power in our country? Is it lay citizens, the economic elite, entrenched businesses, or mass-based interest groups? In an era where the US is one of a few rich and powerful countries without adequate healthcare, maternity and paternity leave, gun control, high minimum wage, and free public colleges, an important question is frequently brought up: does the US government really represent the preferences of the majority of its citizens?
A study by Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page looked at the impact of preferences of different US-based groups on public policy enacted by Congress and the president. They found out that the most influential groups were economic elites and narrow interest groups, while mass-based interest groups and the general public had no impact at all. The peoples’ influence on public policy was “a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant” number.
Unfortunately, modern America is neither. It is led by lobbyists employed at big businesses looking to make it easier to turn a profit for decades to come. Senators are on the payroll while they work to psychologically manipulate their constituents through the form of pundits and social media. Can the US be fixed or is it too late?
Image by Hansjörg Keller via Unsplash
Inspired by The Atlantic and The Washington Post
The government and policy is definitely something that I am very not well versed in, so I definitely see how this is a big issue. Hopefully the required government course next year will help increase my understanding and make me into a better citizen of America. If it was not for the requirement that American High School has where we are obligated to take the government class for graduation, I would have definitely not signed up for the class, so in a way I am grateful for the requirement.
ReplyDeleteThe location of the true power of the Unites States is definitely an incredibly nuanced and complexed matter. The United States is revered for its democracy and the power that it gives to the people, but I agree with you on that the actual citizens of the United States often do not have that power and consideration. While I do think that out democracy should be in the hands of the masses, I definitely think that more precautions and prerquisites should be implemented to ensure that that a competent array of politicans are elected to run the country. Just because a government is chosen by the people, does not mean that that government will be a successful and just one. It simply puts a veil on the resentment that people regard corruption in the government with as they know they have some inclusion in the government.
ReplyDeleteI feel America is more divided than ever and learned in A Promised Land by Barack Obama how the house and congress intentionally blocked deals to hurt the gains of opposing parties. It’s no longer America against the world, it’s Democrats vs. Republicans. For example, one line in the book described how Republican constituents got recognition when they voted against Democrats. And their careers were at risk when they did vote for a plan. If Americans can’t work together, what will happen when a global threat occurs like WIII?
ReplyDeleteHello Rishi,
ReplyDeletePolitics is extremely complicated, but politicians are not. They are human and can either be motivated by greed or greater moral obligations. Who decides what being enlightened means and how it improves one's leadership? Someone may seem enlightened but be motivated by the desire to control the mentality of others. When personal intentions corrupt government policy, a politician subtly weakens the economy. There must be a way to stabilize our economy from the inside out, but requiring selflessness to maintain a Capitalistic society is itself a paradox. People want money, power, fame, and the satisfaction of making a difference to the world. Capitalism feeds off this and encourages those people to find what they are passionate about and make a living off of it. I do not know how there could be an impartial check on this type of system.
Hey Rishi! There are so many questions I have about the government, politics and politicians. I feel like a lot of us, especially in our high school years, aren't as well informed about the government as we should be. Yes there is a class that we quite frankly have to take, but is that really enough? Right now, from what I know, America is a hot mess to say the least. We don’t even seem to be able to work together to get what we need to get done. Some leaders end up stepping on a pedestal for greed while others actually want to make a change. If there are both types of people we put on a pedestal, I don’t see the US going far anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteHi Rishi! There is so much I do not know about the government, but I know that politics there is never a right or wrong. I do not think the U.S. can be "fixed" in any way. There is simply too much that will need to be changed and it is near impossible to come to a consensus on such an issue. However, i have insufficient knowledge about how our country's government functions and "giving power to the people" does seem quite concerning.
ReplyDeleteHi Rishi! You're article was very informative, but you bring up a good point. Quite honestly, after basic government structure, there isn't much I know about public policy and beneficial legislation. At this point in time, I do not think the U.S. can be fixed. Ideally, the U.S would be run "by the people," but that could never truly happen unless the U.S. achieves a good amount of the population knowledgable in civics and government. That would and could never be good at this current point because of certain actions by ill-informed people. I guess we'll have to deal with our current profit-driven situation.
ReplyDeleteHi Rishi! I am unfortunately part of the masses who are not super well versed about the government but definitely agree with you. The government is controlled by those who have money or are benefitting from the current systems in place. You bring up a good point about questioning the "power to the people" approach. Nevertheless, I do not know if the US can be fixed.
ReplyDeleteHi Rishi, I honestly feel like it is too late for the US to be completely fixed, at least for now, especially since this has been happening for quite a while. We also still have many older politicians in both parties who don’t always represent the choices that newer generations might make. Additionally, social media is making people think news that’s not real is real, leading to false conspiracy theories. Society has indeed become much more complicated now. We may need to find wiser leadership or wait until young people become educated and grow up. Or, maybe we could give more attention to additional political parties since Democrats and Republicans seem to be at an impasse.
ReplyDelete