Is the democratic process an illusion?

Question

According to an academic study, as little as 3% of the American population possesses a high enough degree of political knowledge to make informed descisions. Don’t you think politicians know this, and accordingly, continually feed us a lot of hype and misdirection, knowing that most ‘voters’ only engage in civic participation on a very superficial level?

Answer 1

Are you referring to the myth of American Democracy? We do NOT have a Democratic Republic as our elected officials love to proclaim. We have a PLUTOCRATIC REPUBLIC, a government controlled by the super rich and powerful for their own continued enrichment and for their exclusive self-interest! When was the last "common" person elected to the Presidency... one that was not rich or involved in the sleazy world of politics...? Nope, not Lincoln... he was a corporate lawyer for the railroad companies that cheated many Americans out of their homes and land, and his administration was so corrupt that it spilled over to Johnson's administration and the effects were still running up to and including Grant's administration (the drunkard, was also near penniless when he died; he was a bigoted anti-Semite and his tomb is located in Riverdale, a mostly Jewish area in Bronx, NY). Let's face it, all of our candidates are selected for us by political bosses... WE only select those candidates they ALLOW us to vote for... ever hear of the documentary, "Hacking Democracy"? I DARE you all to see it!

Answer 2

No, the process is not an illusion - as stated above, it is mostly ignored. Yes, the politicians do know the rates of voter turn out and what demographics tend to vote in which direction. And, yes, engaging voters on a superficial level is the common practice of the day.

While I doubt the "3%" statistic is truly accurate - I think it would be fair to say that most people don't pay attention to it, don't care about it or think the elected are doing a good enough job that they don't need to worry about it.

Answer 3

ofcourse it is. why do you think it has been proven time and time again who ever spends the most money wins. This is why it is a big problem within the political world about donations and where their monies come from. If a true democracy with people basing their decisions on the candidates beliefs it wouldnt matter how much money you spent. You eather are what they want or you arent. Not dependent on the amount of exposer.

this is also shown in the rampant negative campaigns ran. How many campaigns are based on saying how the other person is bad and not what I can do for you. They put a negative taste in the mouth of the voters instead of a positive taste for them which in most cases have the same mud on them they are flinging.

Answer 4

They'd be foolish not to. BUT, to answer the original question, No. Because the whole premise of the democratic process is involvement in the process by the people. If the people don't participate that does not make the process an illusion. It means the people are apethetic about the process, which is a whole other discussion as to why.

Answer 5

I think in order to be a truely democratic nation we need to rid ourselves of the electoral college, have a paper trail for voting, and not let the supreme court appoint a president in times of close calls.

Answer 6

Yes. That's why I've always felt that David Copperfield should run for President. (That, and the fact that President Copperfield sounds very cool and WASPy)

Answer 7

Of more immediate concern, are the rigged voting machines. Watch "Hacking Democracy"