Fewer people now say representative democracy is a very good way to govern in many countries surveyed. (www.pewresearch.org)

submitted 6 months ago by yogthos@lemmy.ml to c/worldnews@lemmy.ml

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[-] asg101@hexbear.net 66 points 6 months ago

This is what happens when people figure out their "representatives" only represent the ruling class.

[-] pulaskiwasright@lemmy.ml 18 points 6 months ago

One problem in the US is that the purpose of the House of Representatives has been completely subverted. It was supposed to scale up with the population so the representatives really would be part of the community they represent. But we stopped increasing the number of representatives and that lets the ruling elite control them better. The representatives no longer come from their community and the wealthy have less candidates they have to prop up. And the lower count means that gerrymandering is far more effective.

[-] Infamousblt@hexbear.net 39 points 6 months ago

The main problem though is that the US government was built intentionally and from the ground up around representing wealthy landowners. The entire system was never meant to represent the common person and it never will.

[-] BurgerPunk@hexbear.net 16 points 6 months ago

Exactly. It wouldn't matter how many representives you add if the while system is designed for and by the oppressors

[-] Florn@hexbear.net 26 points 6 months ago

Another problem in the US is the Senate working as intended

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[-] Alsephina@lemmy.ml 54 points 6 months ago

Well yeah, bourgeois "democracy" is only really democratic for capitalists and not workers.

[-] BurgerPunk@hexbear.net 26 points 6 months ago

100-com glad to see someone gets it fidel-salute

[-] davel@lemmy.ml 54 points 6 months ago

A lot of people are saying that bourgeois democracy is the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie.

BBC, 2014: Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy

The US is dominated by a rich and powerful elite.

So concludes a recent study by Princeton University Prof Martin Gilens and Northwestern University Prof Benjamin I Page.

This is not news, you say.

Perhaps, but the two professors have conducted exhaustive research to try to present data-driven support for this conclusion. Here's how they explain it:

Multivariate analysis indicates that economic elites and organised groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on US government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence.