Study: Popular movements strangled by influence of the wealthy elite in Congress

[unhappycamper]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/04/18/study-popular-movements-strangled-by-influence-of-the-wealthy-elite-in-congress/



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.

~snip~

“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.”

[Demeter]

1. Get the Moola Out of Congress, Permanently

amend the Constitution so that Roberts retires in disgust, and we'll see what kind of democracy we can have.

[raouldukelives]

2. Anyone involved with Wall St is working & investing against us. And yeah, it's "disturbing".

For every person who tries to address environmental or economic justice, there are many invested against them and adding more fuel to the fire daily.
Some of them even wonder why things aren't getting better. Why we are voiceless. When all along, they are why.

[tecelote]

3. Page said. “If you like the idea of democracy, it’s got to be a little disturbing.”

...because it is not a democracy.

[zeemike]

4. Most of us knew that already.

But it is nice to see a study confirm it...some people require it.

[CrispyQ]

5. How do we get our government back when the electoral process is as corrupt as ours is?

Big money, electronic voting, a compromised media, and an apathetic population. Sadly, the people who can change the process benefit from the current process. I still vote, but I do so with less & less enthusiasm each cycle & very little feeling that my vote makes a difference.

[fasttense]

6. By marching in the streets for months and months and.....

[Doctor_J]

7. we needed a study to figure this out?

[barbtries]

8. it plays out over and over and over

gun control. minimum wage. immigration reform. jobs. everything. lawmakers used to be public servants, now they are almost each and every one, there to get rich.

[DirkGently]

9. Apparently we need to wave checks, not signs.

Who knew?

[NoMoSTi]

10. I think it's scary...

These funders make me sick. No matter what we do, it's never enough!