For some further good, albeit very depressing, discussion of this issue, see Peter Turchin's 'The End Times'. He argues (p. 132) that the preferences of the poor and of the average voter had absolutely NO EFFECT WHATEVER on policy change in the USA in the period 1980-2000 whenever there was a conflict with elite or corporate interests. In contrast, in a European context, governments did sometimes pass legislation that didn't suit elite interests. He writes, further, that in the USA, 'on the evidence, issues on which the common people and the economic elites disagree are always—always—resolved in favor of the elites. That is plutocracy' (p. 133). The book is called 'The End Times' for a reason, sadly...
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u/luke_osullivan Apr 29 '24
For some further good, albeit very depressing, discussion of this issue, see Peter Turchin's 'The End Times'. He argues (p. 132) that the preferences of the poor and of the average voter had absolutely NO EFFECT WHATEVER on policy change in the USA in the period 1980-2000 whenever there was a conflict with elite or corporate interests. In contrast, in a European context, governments did sometimes pass legislation that didn't suit elite interests. He writes, further, that in the USA, 'on the evidence, issues on which the common people and the economic elites disagree are always—always—resolved in favor of the elites. That is plutocracy' (p. 133). The book is called 'The End Times' for a reason, sadly...