Pew Research Center
The public is losing confidence in itself. A dwindling majority (57%) say they have a good deal of confidence in the wisdom of the American people when it comes to making political decisions. Similarly, the proportion who agrees that Americans “can always find a way to solve our problems” has dropped 16 points in the past five years.
Americans feel increasingly estranged from their government. Barely a third (34%) agree with the statement, “most elected officials care what people like me think,” nearly matching the 20-year low of 33% recorded in 1994 and a 10-point drop since 2002.
Young people continue to hold a more favourable view of government than do other Americans. At the same time, young adults express the least interest in voting and other forms of political participation.
We’ve known for years that the opinions of the American people have been slipping when it comes to the state of their government — that’s not news. What’s striking about this study is more what it doesn’t say then what it does.
The commentary of the study is focused on the loss of support for the leadership and the cynicism about those officials’ ability to solve the problems before them. Yet, the statistics of the study paint a totally different picture: A loss of confidence in democracy as a functional system.
The public has finally woken up and realized that the country no longer holds elections — it holds popularity contests. They are media-driven games wherein the person who manages to most thoroughly sell his or her soul to and thus raise the most money from corporate and other interests launch the most elaborate media blitz and win the game. The moment that person takes office, it’s time to pay the piper with a series of decisions that, to the average person, are nearly always destructive.
The official no longer represents the people — the official represents the corporation. Thus even young idealistic men and women, who still trust the government, won’t stir themselves to vote.
If the media was actually the watchdog they are supposed to be, they’d be crying out in rage for the cancellation of any person’s ability to raise funds or use personal funds to run a campaign — mandating a simple government payout for advertising purposes. Finally, that would really make it to be about the issues. But no, they are at the trough themselves…
It’s easier to simply distract the public with, oh, I don’t know — perhaps racism? Ya, cool. There’s a plan. Even though, apparently, the same study found that the public is mostly no longer racist…
Interpersonal racial attitudes continue to moderate. More than eight-in-ten (83%) agree that “it’s all right for blacks and whites to date,” up six percentage points since 2003 and 13 points from a Pew survey conducted 10 years ago.
But, never mind that. Let’s devote most of the news coverage this week to some ex-con bounty hunter (Dog) who swore and used racial epithets in a private conversation with his son. That’ll throw them off the issues that really matter…
The things that matter most…
November 8, 2007 Comments Off on The things that matter most…Pew Research Center
We’ve known for years that the opinions of the American people have been slipping when it comes to the state of their government — that’s not news. What’s striking about this study is more what it doesn’t say then what it does.
The commentary of the study is focused on the loss of support for the leadership and the cynicism about those officials’ ability to solve the problems before them. Yet, the statistics of the study paint a totally different picture: A loss of confidence in democracy as a functional system.
The public has finally woken up and realized that the country no longer holds elections — it holds popularity contests. They are media-driven games wherein the person who manages to most thoroughly sell his or her soul to and thus raise the most money from corporate and other interests launch the most elaborate media blitz and win the game. The moment that person takes office, it’s time to pay the piper with a series of decisions that, to the average person, are nearly always destructive.
The official no longer represents the people — the official represents the corporation. Thus even young idealistic men and women, who still trust the government, won’t stir themselves to vote.
If the media was actually the watchdog they are supposed to be, they’d be crying out in rage for the cancellation of any person’s ability to raise funds or use personal funds to run a campaign — mandating a simple government payout for advertising purposes. Finally, that would really make it to be about the issues. But no, they are at the trough themselves…
It’s easier to simply distract the public with, oh, I don’t know — perhaps racism? Ya, cool. There’s a plan. Even though, apparently, the same study found that the public is mostly no longer racist…
But, never mind that. Let’s devote most of the news coverage this week to some ex-con bounty hunter (Dog) who swore and used racial epithets in a private conversation with his son. That’ll throw them off the issues that really matter…