I'm not surprised to learn that there's a growing groundswell of discontent and distrust among the US population when it comes to the government of this country. Rasmussen Reports says of its latest opinion survey:
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 17% of Likely U.S. Voters think the federal government today has the consent of the governed. Sixty-nine percent (69%) believe the government does not have that consent. Fourteen percent (14%) are undecided.
The number of voters who feel the government has the consent of the governed - a foundational principle, contained in the Declaration of Independence - is down from 23% in early May and has fallen to its lowest level measured yet.
Perhaps it's no surprise voters feel this way since only eight percent (8%) believe the average member of Congress listens to his or her constituents more than to their party leaders. That, too, is the lowest level measured to date. Eighty-four percent (84%) think the average congressman listens to party leaders more than the voters they represent.
Voter approval of the job Congress is doing has fallen to a new low - for the second month in a row. Only six percent (6%) now rate Congress' performance as good or excellent.
The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on August 1-2, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
Democrats and voters not affiliated with either political party are more inclined to think the government does have the consent of the governed, but sizable majorities of all three groups don't believe that to be the case.
Fifty-five percent (55%) of the Political Class, on the other hand, feel the government does have the consent of the governed. Seventy-seven percent (77%) of Mainstream voters disagree.
Most voters across the demographic board believe the average congressman listens to their party leaders more than the people they represent.
Voters also are more convinced than ever that most congressmen are crooks.
. . .
Most voters continue to favor repeal of the national health care law as they have every week but one since Congress passed it in March 2010.
There's more at the link.
One wonders whether the so-called 'political class' will listen to and obey the will of the people . . . or whether they'll continue their wilful, self-imposed blindness until they're swept out of the way.
*Sigh*
Peter
3 comments:
As long as the middle and working classes have families and home snd maybe a job nothing will change.
The only people who can effect real change are those with nothing to lose.
Those people will turn to violence as their answer (possibly the ONLY answer) to foster change in America.
It's time to throw King Obama OUT!
I never thought I'd say this, but the next election can't come soon enough for me. I want them ALL voted out.
What does it mean to "have the consent of the people?"
Did we not elect them (mostly) legally? Is that consent?
Are they to ask each of us our opinion before every vote? Obviously impractical.
Are they to keep reasonably in touch with their constituents' opinions on major issues and vote accordingly?
Are they to vote their own personal conscience?
I suspect we fans of Peter have mostly the same general feelings about the major issue of today (the economy)and are not happy with our Congress. But what would make us happy regarding the way they handle legislative affairs and vote?
Leatherneck
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