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posted by LaminatorX on Thursday April 17 2014, @10:26AM   Printer-friendly
from the Also:-Sky-is-Blue dept.

A study by Princeton and Northwestern universities shows that a small group of elite have control over the general population and the government only supports the rich and powerful while the masses have no say whatsoever. The 42 page report concludes "we believe that if policymaking is dominated by powerful business organizations and a small number of affluent Americans, then America's claims to being a democratic society are seriously threatened."

 
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  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by HiThere on Thursday April 17 2014, @07:12PM

    by HiThere (866) Subscriber Badge on Thursday April 17 2014, @07:12PM (#32793) Journal

    You have mistaken the reason that women and slaves weren't allowed to vote. The Athenian democracy came about when the majority of the population, in debt to a wealthy few, and threatened with slavery, rose in rebellion. After considerable death and destruction, a compromise was reached where no Athenians could be enslaved, and the male adult citizens were all allowed to vote. (There were a few other compromises.) This was known as the laws of Solon. Immediately after they were agreed to, rebellion broke out again, because both sides were unhappy with the compromise. I believe that Solon was also ostracized (i.e., banished from the city for 10 years). Eventually, though, the fighting died down, and both sides learned to live with the compromise. And THAT's why Athenian men were all allowed to vote. Women weren't involved in the fighting (not much) and didn't have anyone standing up for their rights, so they weren't given any. Ditto for slaves, who were already mostly foreigners anyway.

    There wasn't anything very idealistic about the origin of Athenian Democracy. The idealism came afterwards.

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  • (Score: 2) by umafuckitt on Thursday April 17 2014, @08:52PM

    by umafuckitt (20) on Thursday April 17 2014, @08:52PM (#32826)

    Thanks for the info, it's interesting.