Princeton Concludes What Kind of Government America Really Has, and It's Not a Democracy
The news: A new scientific study from Princeton researchers Martin Gilens and Benjamin I. Page has finally put some science behind the recently popular argument that the United States isn't a democracy any more. And they've found that in fact, America is basically an oligarchy.

An oligarchy is a system where power is effectively wielded by a small number of individuals defined by their status called oligarchs. Members of the oligarchy are the rich, the well connected and the politically powerful, as well as particularly well placed individuals in institutions like banking and finance or the military.

For their study, Gilens and Page compiled data from roughly 1,800 different policy initiatives in the years between 1981 and 2002. They then compared those policy changes with the expressed opinion of the United State public. Comparing the preferences of the average American at the 50th percentile of income to what those Americans at the 90th percentile preferred, as well as the opinions of major lobbying or business groups, the researchers found out that the government followed the directives set forth by the latter two much more often.

It's beyond alarming. As Gilens and Page write, "the preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy." In other words, their statistics say your opinion literally does not matter.

To start, these united States never has been nor ever will be a democracy, only an idiot would state that which would be par for the course for Princeton. These united States are a republican form of government as guaranteed by the constitution.

But then this country has more than it's share of idiots that haven't a clue about anything much less a form of government. Most have totally surrendered their rights and accept the privileges and benefits.

But Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Sanford, Duke and all the rest sold out many years ago to the corporations. They are bought and paid for.

For example, each of the medical schools were purchased by big pharma with an endorsement by the AMA. They have but taught medicine there as it relates to prescriptions for more than a century. The trained monkeys that pass for doctor's have very little if any health or nutrition education.

If you do not believe it, ask your doctor about blood thinners, they immediately go to Warfarin or one of the derivatives or for a mild thinner, aspirin. Ask about Vitamin A and E, natures blood thinner and conditioner as well as powerful antioxidants. And for a total nightmare, ask about antibacterials and why they are extremely dangerous and should only be taken as a last resort. But don't expect straight answers.

Now, what has ruined this country are the supposedly law schools, the ones that teach no law, just statutes, codes and regulations. The same schools that have buried the common law with court rules of civil/criminal procedures.

But if you really see why Princeton would actually propose such a matter as the OP, you should try one of their constitutional law lectures. As studying the constitution and law has been a burning passion over the pass number of years, I have. Thankfully, it was over the internet or I'm sure I would have been asked to leave for rolling on the floor laughing.

And we need a "study" to tell us that?

Not really, the study is to instill in the mass of idiots the false impression they live in a democracy so they will vote for those they give them the most stuff.

So I guess that begs the question, oligarchy or mass of idiots with little clue of what goes on around them?

By golly gee.

Looking like anyone who knows we are a republic is smarter than a Princeton scholar.

True, but even then finding one that knows what a republic means is where it starts to get truly difficult.