Posted on Apr 19, 2014
Princeton research paper concludes America's government is not a democracy. What y'all think about this?
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I haven't finished the actual paper yet (its 42 pages) but the article seems to be an over simplification, but I'm curious to see the supporting research for its claims. I'm not drawing any opinion from the article. I'd rather read the source myself. It is an interesting thought.<div>Please only vote if you have at least read the article, but I'd encourage reading some of the research paper.</div><div>http://www.policymic.com/articles/87719/princeton-concludes-what-kind-of-government-america-really-has-and-it-s-not-a-democracy<br></div><div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-picture"><img src="http://thumbs.policymic.com/q_6eZFWu8CP88XO0H8XPGiZXSDU=/11x202:5616x3737/1910x1000/s3.amazonaws.com/policymic-images/2eecd73a6ad3479ade22ba4dc9a1297d7841dcaa9e9ad176fa28c4d143376ba4.jpg"></div><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.policymic.com/articles/87719/princeton-concludes-what-kind-of-government-america-really-has-and-it-s-not-a-democracy">Princeton Concludes What Kind of Government America Really Has, and It's Not a Democracy</a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">Scientists have proven that our government is far from what we believe.</div></div><div style="clear:both"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div>
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Democracy
Democracy
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 11
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As has been said before, we are a republic, NOT a democracy. To quote a rather over-used phrase: "In a republic, my property is my domain and supports the minority. In a democracy, the majority can vote to take my property so the majority rules." Either way, we have lost what this country was initially founded upon, freedom for the lower class and the minority. Of course, it is always up for debate if America was actually founded upon these principles or not. If you're interested in seeing another view of the founding, read "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn. I'm not advocating his views, just bringing something new to the debate.
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They needed a study to do that? Ever since I was a kid I've known it was a Republic.
I don't think they could feasibly collect all 300 million or so votes (ok, closer to 150 million).
We use that same system just about everywhere. Yeah, it leads to political corruption in that people can be bought and stuff, but we've done a pretty decent job for a few hundred years.
One could argue though that now that we have better technology we could easily count votes.
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SSG Gerhard S.
SFC J, It is important to note that the Framers of our Constitution did NOT want the votes counted to simply elect by a plurality. Doing so would have caused harm to the smaller less populous States, in favor of the larger more populous States. The Electoral system was designed, wisely to allow the Smaller States to band together with greater force in order to counter the simple majority of the interests of just a few larger, more populous, and therefore more politically powerful States. It's not a technology issue, it's a power sharing issue, that was, and still is a valid concern.
Without the Electoral system the Framers feared that power would be centralized and monopolized by just a few States with the largest populations, and with such benefit, those in power could continue to funnel more and more power to those same large States.
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SSG Gerhard S.
Additionally, I would note that the Framers specifically rejected the idea of a "democracy" because of the fact that in a Democracy, ANY simple majority can vote away the rights, freedom, or property of ANY smaller minority, or of the smallest minority, namely, the individual. It is for this reason that the Declaration of Independence states,
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Pointing out that our rights are inviolable, that we are born with them, and that they may not be voted away, nor can they be violated without just cause.
Democracy was feared by the Framers nearly as vehemently as was Monarchy, or Theocracy, or Mercantilism. All of these forms of government had ALREADY proven their deficiencies at the expense of the individual.
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America is not now, never was and hopefully will never be a democracy which is a nice way of saying mob rule. America was, and should be, a representative constitutional republic.
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This country was born a republic. We have never been a democracy. Today is more a
Aristotle defines an oligarchy as —”when men of property have the government in their hands.” Throughout history, oligarchies have been tyrannical, relying on public obedience and/or oppression to exist.
faux Democracy brought to you by the Oligarchs of the Plutocracy.
Aristotle defines an oligarchy as —”when men of property have the government in their hands.” Throughout history, oligarchies have been tyrannical, relying on public obedience and/or oppression to exist.
I disagree with the article's assertion of an oligarchy. Today we have become a Plutocracy. Wealthy individuals and organizations have exerted influence over the political arena. Our democratic republic permits fundraising for politicians who frequently rely on such income for advertising their candidacy to the voting public.
The donations engender a cronyist or patronage system via which major contributors are rewarded on a quid pro quo basis. The natural expectation of donors is that their needs will be served by the person to whom they donated. If not, it is in their self-interest to fund a different candidate or political organization.
Plutocrats ignore their social responsibilities, use their power to serve their own purposes, and thereby increase poverty and nurture class conflict, corrupting society with greed and hedonism.
The donations engender a cronyist or patronage system via which major contributors are rewarded on a quid pro quo basis. The natural expectation of donors is that their needs will be served by the person to whom they donated. If not, it is in their self-interest to fund a different candidate or political organization.
Plutocrats ignore their social responsibilities, use their power to serve their own purposes, and thereby increase poverty and nurture class conflict, corrupting society with greed and hedonism.
Any real change that has happened in this country has been at the hands of the citizens, and it is usually not pretty. The American Revolution, Civil War, and other trying times are the true harbingers of change. But Americans have gone soft and do not want to sacrifice in order to achieve real change. We like our 'conveniences' too much and most have an entitlement mentality. That leaves us open to oligarchy and dictatorship. History has shown us, and history repeats itself.
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First of all the US Government was NEVER a Democracy. I would challenge any of you to find the word Democracy in either the Declaration of Independence, OR the U.S. Constitution. This country was founded, first as a Confederacy, and then as a Federal Republic. Benjamin Franklin was famous for answering the woman on the steps in Philadelphia when asked what form of government have you given us. Mr. Franklin answered "A Republic. If you can keep it."
That being said Rather than Oligarchy, it seems clear that what we have is largely a Corporatist System whereby Corporations, Unions, and other Special Interest groups contribute large sums of money to elect Representatives, Senators, Governors, or Presidents and then expect, and receive even larger and more profitable favors, exclusions, or monopolies from government in return. It is the enormous regulatory system that has developed over time that makes this possible. As Eisenhower said, we muse beware the Military Industrial Complex. Though the problem does not solely exist on the Military end of things, the Military Industrial complex IS a sizeable part of the problem. Clearly this quid-pro-quo runs the gamut from corporations, to States, to foreign governments, and has terribly distorted our system of Limited governance, Of, By, and For the People, into one FOR the special interests, with the money to fund the elections.
That being said Rather than Oligarchy, it seems clear that what we have is largely a Corporatist System whereby Corporations, Unions, and other Special Interest groups contribute large sums of money to elect Representatives, Senators, Governors, or Presidents and then expect, and receive even larger and more profitable favors, exclusions, or monopolies from government in return. It is the enormous regulatory system that has developed over time that makes this possible. As Eisenhower said, we muse beware the Military Industrial Complex. Though the problem does not solely exist on the Military end of things, the Military Industrial complex IS a sizeable part of the problem. Clearly this quid-pro-quo runs the gamut from corporations, to States, to foreign governments, and has terribly distorted our system of Limited governance, Of, By, and For the People, into one FOR the special interests, with the money to fund the elections.
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Our government is supposed to be a republic. The one way I was taught in school that makes our government a democracy is that a republic government falls under the democracy category (as opposed to a monarchy, theocracy, etc.); although the basic definition of a true democratic government has already been covered here in the comments. Our current government is, at best, a far cry and shadow of what our founders wanted and created for us after the Constitution was drafted and signed into law. Sadder still is that many people who can legally vote here have no idea how our government is supposed to function; let alone this country's history.
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First, we are a Republic, not a Democracy. Second, Our Country was not founded upon majority rule.
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I would take any research paper coming out of Princeton with a grain of salt!
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SGT Aaron Atwood
Which is quite sad considering that Ivy League schools used to be held in high regard.
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America is a Republic and not a Democracy. a republic is a representative form of government that is ruled according to a charter, or constitution, and a democracy is a government that is ruled according to the will of the majority.
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