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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums(Reminder) "Study: Congress literally doesn't care what you think"
This article has been posted here before, but I am so full of rage that the Dems dont have OUR backs that I thought Id remind us whose backs Congress does have.
https://act.represent.us/sign/problempoll-fba
Have you ever felt like the government doesnt really care what you think?
Professors Martin Gilens (Princeton University) and Benjamin I. Page (Northwestern University) looked at more than 20 years worth of data to answer a simple question: Does the government represent the people?
Their study took data from nearly 2000 public opinion surveys and compared it to the policies that ended up becoming law. In other words, they compared what the public wanted to what the government actually did. What they found was extremely unsettling: The opinions of 90% of Americans have essentially no impact at all.
SNIP
Does public opinion affect the political process? Gilens & Page found that the number of Americans for or against any idea has no impact on the likelihood that Congress will make it law.
The preferences of the average American appear to have only a miniscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy. Gilens & Page, Perspectives in Politics
Professors Martin Gilens (Princeton University) and Benjamin I. Page (Northwestern University) looked at more than 20 years worth of data to answer a simple question: Does the government represent the people?
Their study took data from nearly 2000 public opinion surveys and compared it to the policies that ended up becoming law. In other words, they compared what the public wanted to what the government actually did. What they found was extremely unsettling: The opinions of 90% of Americans have essentially no impact at all.
SNIP
Does public opinion affect the political process? Gilens & Page found that the number of Americans for or against any idea has no impact on the likelihood that Congress will make it law.
The preferences of the average American appear to have only a miniscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy. Gilens & Page, Perspectives in Politics
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(Reminder) "Study: Congress literally doesn't care what you think" (Original Post)
LearnedHand
Tuesday
OP
BeerBarrelPolka
(2,088 posts)1. So Congress is like my ex wife?
Response to LearnedHand (Original post)
snot This message was self-deleted by its author.
snot
(11,354 posts)3. THIS!
I was beginning to think I was the only here who knew about this organization.
Most congresscritters represent their donors, not their voters.
LearnedHand
(5,133 posts)4. I'm both angry and discouraged
Someone here posted Jon Stewarts bit on on the caving, and while it was very cathartic it also was overwhelmingly sad. Thats what reminded me of this article.