Only 21% Say U.S. Government Has Consent of the Governed

silverharp

From a survey carried out by Rasmussen reports. I think it would be fair to say that many people "should" not be happy with the way they are being governed which appears biased towards special interest groups.

I dont know what to make of the incident last night with a US professional trying to take out an IRS building on his way out, but cant imagine such an incident happening in the 50's or 60's.

So if there is a question here it is, will the discontent turn into meaningful reform?


http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/february_2010/only_21_say_u_s_government_has_consent_of_the_governed

The founding document of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, states that governments derive “their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Today, however, just 21% of voters nationwide believe that the federal government enjoys the consent of the governed.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 61% disagree and say the government does not have the necessary consent. Eighteen percent (18%) of voters are not sure.
However, 63% of the Political Classthink the government has the consent of the governed, but only six percent (6%) of those with Mainstream views agree.
Seventy-one percent (71%) of all voters now view the federal government as a special interest group, and 70% believe that the government and big business typically work together in ways that hurt consumers and investors.
That helps explain why 75% of voters are angry at the policies of the federal government, and 63% say it would be better for the country if most members of Congress are defeatedthis November. Just 27% believe their own representative in Congress is the best person for the job.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
Among voters under 40, 25% believe government has the consent of the governed. That compares to 19% of those ages 50 to 64 and 16% of the nation’s senior citizens.
Those who earn more than $100,000 a year are more narrowly divided on the question, but those with lower incomes overwhelming reject the notion that today’s government has the consent from which to derive its just authority. Those with the lowest incomes are the most skeptical.
Seventy-eight percent (78%) of Republicans say the government does not have the consent of the governed, and that view is shared by 65% of voters not affiliated with either of the major parties. A plurality of Democrats (44%) agrees, but 32% of those in President Obama’s party believe the government has the necessary consent.
From an ideological perspective, most moderate and conservative voters say the government lacks the consent of the governed. Liberals are evenly divided.

Black Swan

Silverharp2 wrote: »

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey

NON-RESPONSE ERROR AND BIAS
There are serious limitations with a telephone survey, so the percentages given here are problematic?

"The proportion of adults with only wireless telephones is growing rapidly. Using 2006 data from the National Center for Health Statistics’ National Health Interview Survey, this article is among the first to reveal that noncoverage of this population can result in nonnegligible bias for traditional random-digit-dial landline telephone surveys that do not call wireless telephone numbers."

Source: http://poq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/71/5/734

"Non-response Error results from not being able to interview people who would be eligible to take the survey. Many households now have answering machines and caller ID that prevent easy contact..."

"Other people simply do not want to respond to calls sometimes because the endless stream of telemarketing appeals make them wary of answering."

Source: http://www.humanespot.org/node/2700

"The picture below is an iconic image and the newspaper headline is a near-unassailable rejoinder to any assertion based on the conclusion of public opinion polls. The variability in the results of various polls does not help its credibility either."



Source: http://intellectualeffluent.blogspot.com/2008/09/dewey-wins-again.html

SLUSK

The only chance for any real reform to happen in America is for Ron Paul to be elected president and end the Fed. This will not happen.

southsiderosie

SLUSK wrote: »

The only chance for any real reform to happen in America is for Ron Paul to be elected president and end the Fed. This will not happen.

Ron Paul being elected president would not change the fact that gerrymandering has created the worst gridlock in Congress in years, that Americans hate taxes but like expensive social programs like Medicare and Social Security, the primary and secondary educational systems are 100 years out of date, and the infrastructure stinks.

I give Ron Paul credit for the courage of his convictions, but there needs to be some fundamental changes to the political and social culture in the US, and getting rid of the Fed has little to do with that.

Overheal

Consent of the Governed

...George is that you?

rich1874

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey

Regardless of wheter a phone survey is robust means of collecting accurate data, this survey surely correlates polls and ratings carried out for the last decade. The US public is deeply unhappy with the government. Congress's poll ratings are the among the lowest in history and the hope and change boasted by Obama are falling back into the same old patterns laid by George Bush.

Anyway regardless of whether they have the consent of the governed or not, and let's face it, they haven't had it for 40 years, they'll continue to 'manufacture consent'.

Black Swan

rich1874 wrote: »

Regardless of wheter a phone survey is robust means of collecting accurate data, this survey surely correlates polls and ratings carried out for the last decade. The US public is deeply unhappy with the government.

You are addressing across-poll reliability, but not validity? For example, I can misspell the same word frequently over time (highly reliable), but it is still in error (invalid).

After living in the USA as a student for the past 4 years, I am beginning to wonder if a large segment of the American population just loves to complain for the sake of complaining? At the coffee shop I most often frequent around 15 April each year I hear people joke about cheating on their taxes, while at the same time complaining about them. I also hear them complain about their government, while at the same time re-election of incumbents has been reported to be over 90 percent.

"Congressional stagnation is an American political theory that attempts to explain the high rate of incumbency re-election to the United States House of Representatives. In recent years this rate has been well over 90 per cent"

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_stagnation_in_the_United_States

Reelection Rates Over the Years
"Few things in life are more predictable than the chances of an incumbent member of the U.S. House of Representatives winning reelection. With wide name recognition, and usually an insurmountable advantage in campaign cash, House incumbents typically have little trouble holding onto their seats."

Source: http://www.opensecrets.org/bigpicture/reelect.php

rich1874

"Few things in life are more predictable than the chances of an incumbent member of the U.S. House of Representatives winning reelection. With wide name recognition, and usually an insurmountable advantage in campaign cash, House incumbents typically have little trouble holding onto their seats."

Hmmm this doesn't neccessarily mean that the US public is happy with who they are voting for, simply that they've fallen into a comfortable pattern of voting for the guy who can put up more posters. As the quote says access to cash and stability of re-running representatives leads to an insurmountable advantage. Now that more than anything should breath contempt from the populace due to the familiarity of it all. It is a two party system after all.

And of course people like to complain, nobody likes paying taxes but they still do, i think the real consent issue lies in the foreign and social policy of the government.