Study: Yep, American Presidents Are Guided By Wealthy Elites

[peecoolyour]

The idea that U.S. presidents look out for the wealthy and powerful over the mass of ordinary Americans is nothing new. But a new study claims to confirm that assumption with hard data while seeking to spur a conversation over the flagging health of American democracy.

Echoing a much-discussed paper out of Princeton last year that argued the U.S. is no longer a proper representative democracy, the book, "Who Governs?" is an exploration of presidents, public opinion, and manipulation.

James N. Druckman from Northwesten University and Lawrence R. Jacobs from University of Minnesota make the case that presidents from both Republican and Democratic parties mainly serve and are guided by the wishes of the wealthy and political elites and exploit public opinion in order to serve those ends.

The duo turn to previously confidential documents from presidential archives, interviews with White House officials, and previously unquantified data to argue that "elites do most of the deciding," since presidents purposefully aim to "shirk citizen control."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/study-elites-public-opinion-presidents

[valerief]

1. "Elected" officials are agents of the elites. nt

[arcane1]

2. "Who Governs?" sounds like an interesting book. On the list it goes!

[cali]

3. I'm shocked. Now tell me again why this shouldn't be of concern regarding HRC.

[jeff47]

4. In today's episode of "No shit."....(nt)

[RadiationTherapy]

5. Hillary Clinton is a wealthy elite. What luck!

[m-lekktor]

6. this is why Obama takes his particular stance on the TPP thing

and why Hillary is so the wrong way to go.

[pampango]

7. Reagan in particular - were highly attentive to the demands of privileged segments of the electorate

with high incomes and other politically valued resources.

Surveying the Johnson, Nixon, and Reagan administrations, the authors found evidence "that presidents — Reagan, in particular — were highly attentive to the demands of privileged segments of the electorate with high incomes and other politically valued resources."

Sticking with Reagan as an example:

When the general public's opinions shift from 10 percent below to 10 percent above the average [in a conservative direction], Reagan became 3.5 percent more conservative, compared to a whopping 20 percent more conservative for an analogous move among the affluent ...

Put simply, these results demonstrate that Reagan clearly paid dramatic attention to the views of the wealthy on economic issues.

[L0oniX]

8. Fuck the 1% !

[jtuck004]

9. Research? Just look around at the families who weren't hungry 6 years ago, and the few

they are supporting who will never be.

Don't need research to take the blinders off.

[zeemike]

10. It is what we all know.

But few dare to admit it...check fable The Emperor's New Cloths.