Princeton: US is an Oligarchy, Not a Democracy

[KNB]

A study, to appear in the Fall 2014 issue of the academic journal Perspectives on Politics, finds that the U.S. is no democracy, but instead an oligarchy, meaning profoundly corrupt, so that the answer to the study’s opening question, "Who governs? Who really rules?" in this country, is:

"Despite the seemingly strong empirical support in previous studies for theories of majoritarian democracy, our analyses suggest that majorities of the American public actually have little influence over the policies our government adopts. Americans do enjoy many features central to democratic governance, such as regular elections, freedom of speech and association, and a widespread (if still contested) franchise. But..." and then they go on to say, it's not true, and that, "America's claims to being a democratic society are seriously threatened" by the findings in this, the first-ever comprehensive scientific study of the subject, which shows that there is instead "the nearly total failure of 'median voter' and other Majoritarian Electoral Democracy theories [of America]. When the preferences of economic elites and the stands of organized interest groups are controlled for, the preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy."
http://www.princeton.edu/~mgilens/Gilens%20homepage%20materials/Gilens%20and%20Page/Gilens%20and%20Page%202014-Testing%20Theories%203-7-14.pdf

What do Americans have to say about this? Is it all just another part of Obama's liberal media conspiracy to implement Sharia Marxism and take our guns?

 

[Mr. H.]

Or maybe we're a Constitutional Republic.

And Princeton is just a school?

 

[CaféAuLait]

The search feature is your friend, fourth thread on the same paper and subject on this forum.

http://www.usmessageboard.com/polit...-oligarchy-not-a-representative-republic.html

http://www.usmessageboard.com/curre...shows-usa-is-an-oligarchy-not-democratic.html

http://www.usmessageboard.com/politics/350375-report-usa-is-now-an-oligarchy.html

 

[Ahsan558]

It is not a democracy. Nation should protest against it.

 

[Politico]

Doesn't take much to be called smart these days does it?

 

[Iceweasel]

Is he talking about a president overstepping his elected duties and ramming his health care initiatives down our throats? The further left we go the farther from a democratic republic we get.

 

[RDD_1210]

Is he talking about a president overstepping his elected duties and ramming his health care initiatives down our throats? The further left we go the farther from a democratic republic we get.

LOL, the more left we go he says. Name a country that has more conservative policies in place than our country. When you're scraping the bottom of the barrel and naming 3rd world countries you'll have proved my point.

 

[bedowin62]

YAWN
left-wings always have a gripe and a name to call others; even for their own country

 

[bedowin62]

left-wing losers always have an -ism, -ic,-ist, or -archy tag for people they need to try to feel holier than

idiots and hypocrites

 

[RDD_1210]

YAWN
left-wings always have a gripe and a name to call others; even for their own country

Your boss Barack says get back to your desk.

 

[bedowin62]

my boss barack needs to get back to his desk

better yet resign like the disgrace he is

 

[Iceweasel]

Is he talking about a president overstepping his elected duties and ramming his health care initiatives down our throats? The further left we go the farther from a democratic republic we get.

LOL, the more left we go he says. Name a country that has more conservative policies in place than our country. When you're scraping the bottom of the barrel and naming 3rd world countries you'll have proved my point.

You don't have a point. We have moved to the left, some voluntarily, some not so much, like the ACA. I know it's hard for you but if we are moving towards the left and power is increasingly concentrated with the few, how is that a coincidence in your mind?

 

[RDD_1210]

Is he talking about a president overstepping his elected duties and ramming his health care initiatives down our throats? The further left we go the farther from a democratic republic we get.

LOL, the more left we go he says. Name a country that has more conservative policies in place than our country. When you're scraping the bottom of the barrel and naming 3rd world countries you'll have proved my point.

You don't have a point. We have moved to the left, some voluntarily, some not so much, like the ACA. I know it's hard for you but if we are moving towards the left and power is increasingly concentrated with the few, how is that a coincidence in your mind?

The power has been consolidated with the few for years now. It's been a problem and certainly hasn't changed under Obama.

I noticed you couldn't name a country more conservative than our own. But you did refer to the ACA. So I'll give you a second chance. Name a country with a healthcare system that is more conservative in nature than our own. Just one.

Once again, when you fail to name a single country, you'll have shown how wrong you are....again.

And go......!

 

[thanatos144]

 

[bedowin62]

LOL, the more left we go he says. Name a country that has more conservative policies in place than our country. When you're scraping the bottom of the barrel and naming 3rd world countries you'll have proved my point.

You don't have a point. We have moved to the left, some voluntarily, some not so much, like the ACA. I know it's hard for you but if we are moving towards the left and power is increasingly concentrated with the few, how is that a coincidence in your mind?

The power has been consolidated with the few for years now. It's been a problem and certainly hasn't changed under Obama.

I noticed you couldn't name a country more conservative than our own. But you did refer to the ACA. So I'll give you a second chance. Name a country with a healthcare system that is more conservative in nature than our own. Just one.

Once again, when you fail to name a single country, you'll have shown how wrong you are....again.

And go......!

what is a "conservative in nature" health care system leftard?

geesh why do you morons want answers to questions that dont make sense?

 

[RDD_1210]

You don't have a point. We have moved to the left, some voluntarily, some not so much, like the ACA. I know it's hard for you but if we are moving towards the left and power is increasingly concentrated with the few, how is that a coincidence in your mind?

The power has been consolidated with the few for years now. It's been a problem and certainly hasn't changed under Obama.

I noticed you couldn't name a country more conservative than our own. But you did refer to the ACA. So I'll give you a second chance. Name a country with a healthcare system that is more conservative in nature than our own. Just one.

Once again, when you fail to name a single country, you'll have shown how wrong you are....again.

And go......!

what is a "conservative in nature" health care system leftard?

geesh why do you morons want answers to questions that dont make sense?

You tell me. You idiots scream we have "socialist" healthcare. So which country has a less "socialist" system?

The answer is none. Since we both know there is exactly 0% chance you would ever actually be able to answer the question.

 

[Iceweasel]

The power has been consolidated with the few for years now. It's been a problem and certainly hasn't changed under Obama.

I noticed you couldn't name a country more conservative than our own. But you did refer to the ACA. So I'll give you a second chance. Name a country with a healthcare system that is more conservative in nature than our own. Just one.

Once again, when you fail to name a single country, you'll have shown how wrong you are....again.

And go......!

I don't know what the **** you are babbling about. What does "conservative health care" even mean? Are there less publicly funded ones? Sure. Is socializing it a good thing? You didn't say. My point was it wasn't done by a democratic process, not that we are more conservative/liberal/etc. Your idiotic sidestep doesn't change it.

 

[Iceweasel]

The power has been consolidated with the few for years now. It's been a problem and certainly hasn't changed under Obama.

I noticed you couldn't name a country more conservative than our own. But you did refer to the ACA. So I'll give you a second chance. Name a country with a healthcare system that is more conservative in nature than our own. Just one.

Once again, when you fail to name a single country, you'll have shown how wrong you are....again.

And go......!

what is a "conservative in nature" health care system leftard?

geesh why do you morons want answers to questions that dont make sense?

You tell me. You idiots scream we have "socialist" healthcare. So which country has a less "socialist" system?

The answer is none. Since we both know there is exactly 0% chance you would ever actually be able to answer the question.

There is 0% chance you can understand what people are talking about. We have had the best health care in the world, we lead in many aspects of it and it wasn't socialism that brought it to the masses. You are in no position to call someone an idiot.

 

[RDD_1210]

what is a "conservative in nature" health care system leftard?

geesh why do you morons want answers to questions that dont make sense?

You tell me. You idiots scream we have "socialist" healthcare. So which country has a less "socialist" system?

The answer is none. Since we both know there is exactly 0% chance you would ever actually be able to answer the question.

There is 0% chance you can understand what people are talking about. We have had the best health care in the world, we lead in many aspects of it and it wasn't socialism that brought it to the masses. You are in no position to call someone an idiot.

LOL, it's not the "best" if it's the most expensive and not everyone can access it without going bankrupt. Maybe you have a distorted opinion of what is "best".

 

[buckeye45_73]

Is he talking about a president overstepping his elected duties and ramming his health care initiatives down our throats? The further left we go the farther from a democratic republic we get.

LOL, the more left we go he says. Name a country that has more conservative policies in place than our country. When you're scraping the bottom of the barrel and naming 3rd world countries you'll have proved my point.

Uh do you know how to argue?

what does having the most conservative policies have to do with moving left. And for your third world remark......
Your only options then would include western europe, which is a trash pit.