Whatever happend to government for the people?

Question

It just seems like the politicians are in it for themselves. Or the lobbiest really. More money for someone and less power for the people of America.

Answer 1

Well, the problem is the government "BY the people and OF the people." That implies that the PEOPLE are active. That they vote, that they let their elected officials know their opinions on issues.

In reality, few do. We have pitiful voter turn out. How many people have actually written or called their elected representatives' offices to let them know their opinions on an issue? Almost no one. That's the problem. If THE PEOPLE are active, their representatives are accountable. If THE PEOPLE are apathetic, then that leaves the representatives to their own devises, and power corrupts.

Answer 2

News flash. government for the people is alive and well. We all get one vote regardless of social standing. The lobbyists you decry in fact represent real people who work real jobs and need the attention of our Representatives. If you think the power of the moneyed is too great perhaps your should look at this from a different angle. Because the government now has so much power, provided by laws passed that regulate almost all business conduct I could argue that the reason money flows to DC is because it buys protection from an over zealous activist congress(think EEOC, EPA, etc) Restrict congressional power to that which is constitutional and most of the money goes away

Answer 3

"government for the people"...It's that "government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth", part of President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address to dedicate the battlefield at Gettysburg.
What happened? Public education happened! Mass media happened! People sitting on their duffs, instead of writing letters to their politicians, instead of writing letters to the editor, instead of voting, happened.
There is too much blame to go around. Politicians like to raise taxes for this or that; much of the money never makes it to whereever it is supposed to go for. Those junkets that Congressmen go on are not cheap.
How many times is it reported that some bolt that is 69 cents at Ace costs Congress $300?
Who's to blame? We are. Congress is. The President is. Mass media is. Public education is.
Wake up, America!

Answer 4

When the people don't communicate to their reps how to represent them what are the reps supposed to do? Nag if you must but constantly communicate with them. They represent you and you need to tell them how to do that. The problem in America today is we do a lot of complaining about the politicians who represent us and then we are too lazy to tell them how. Democracy takes work. Totalitarianism takes work only by the fearless leader while others lazily kick back and do as they are told.

Answer 5

What happen was GREED and POWER, we used to get leaders with vision of the future, now the vision is a big slave labor force and a few really
rich that will control the world. And this crap will continue until the People start fighting back.

Answer 6

Sadly, I think you are right. Supposedly, The Constitution reads: "We The People, By The People, etc"- When it more accurately functions as: "We The Government, Of The System, By The Power & For The Money"!!

Answer 7

more money more lobbyist more greed.

Less for the people less for the country less for the good of the nation.

I have had it with Bush and all his coharts. The democrats can't seem to pll their head's out of Bush's butt.

The political parties are in it for themselves. i am sick of them!

Answer 8

There never was a government for the people, everybody is only in it for themselves. and with higher power formed by corperations they run the country now really

Answer 9

A little thing called “The Patriot Act”

Answer 10

Not to kill your buzz, but lobbyists are people who promote the wishes of other people.

Technically, you have no legitimate beef on these grounds.