Study Shines Light On The Disturbing Oligarchic Tendencies Of Congress [View all]
Study: Popular movements strangled by influence of the wealthy elite in Congress
By Travis Gettys
Friday, April 18, 2014 12:19 EDT
A forthcoming study found that ordinary citizens exert little influence on the political process, even when they form coalitions to compete against corporate interests.
A co-author of the study, which will be published later this year, said he was particularly surprised to quantify the limits of “majoritarian pluralism.”
“The basic idea is that maybe ordinary citizens don’t have a whole lot of influence on their own, but they’re represented by groups,” said co-author Benjamin Page, a Northwestern University political science professor.
He said, in theory, everyone ought to be represented “pretty well” in the U.S. political system, but “it turns out that’s just not true.”
“Mass-based interest groups have much less influence than corporations and business-oriented groups,” Page said. “If you like the idea of democracy, it’s got to be a little disturbing.”
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http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/04/18/study-popular-movements-strangled-by-influence-of-the-wealthy-elite-in-congress/
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