The founding document of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, states that governments derive “their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
That means that the founding fathers intended for our elected representatives to be responsive to us, the electorate.
In other words, the politicians were to work for the citizens, not the other way around.
Scott Rasmussen, of Rasmussen Reports just completed some interesting public opinion research on this topic.
Rasmussen Reports is an electronic media company specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.
Because they highly value their independence and credibility, Rasmussen Reports cannot be hired to conduct a poll for anyone, and they're one of the few political sites to attract roughly equal numbers of Republicans, Democrats, and unaffiliated voters.
So their data is generally pretty good, and an accurate representation of how people really feel.
Their recent research reveals that just 21% of voters nationwide believe that the federal government enjoys the consent of the governed.
Only 21% believe the politicians are working for them, not the other way around.
61% say the government does not have the necessary consent.
Eighteen percent (18%) of voters are not sure.
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, regardless of party.
That's a terrible indictment of the current set of incumbents, Democrat or Republican.
Rasmussen says:
"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. 44% of Democrats agree."
What we have here is an electorate frustrated with the current way the country is headed, and with their politicians in general.
And those kinds of feelings typically spell voter revolt against incumbents, something other polls are seeing when evaluating potential mid-term election results.
But that 61% number isn't the worst part.
See, Rasmussen then polled the politicians themselves, always an enlightening exercise.
When the politicians themselves were asked whether or not they were governing with the consent of the governed, 63% of them think the government has the consent of the governed.
63% think they are actually doing what we, the electorate, (their presumed bosses) want them to do.
63% think they are actually representing us.
That's almost 180 degrees out of sync with the 61% of the electorate that say they aren't doing so.
Reasonable people would conclude that this is the foundation for voter revolt when they go to the polls for the mid-terms.
And that has certainly been what history would indicate, especially when it comes to incumbents standing for re-election.
But here's what's really scary: With only 63% of the politicians themselves saying they are governing with the consent of the governed, that means that 37% of our elected officials at the Federal level knowingly answered that they were not doing so.
37% of the incumbents essentially admitted to thumbing their nose at the people who elected them.
More than a third of the people we put in office to serve us have decided to say "screw you".
Now, I'll leave it to you to determine for yourself the relative IQ of a politician who knowingly admits to something like that.
And, that appears to be exactly what everyday people in the real world are doing.
Rasmussen again:
"Seventy-one percent (71%) of all voters now view the federal government as a special interest group
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 defeated this November.
Just 27% believe their own representative in Congress is the best person for the job."
Rasmussen observes that the American people are “united in the belief that our political system is broken, that politicians are corrupt, and that neither major political party has the answers.”
He adds that “the gap between Americans who want to govern themselves and the politicians who want to rule over them may be as big today as the gap between the colonies and England during the 18th century.”
And we all know how that turned out.
“Every generation needs a new revolution.” ---- Thomas Jefferson
“If by the mere force of numbers a majority should deprive a minority of any clearly written constitutional right, it might, in a moral point of view, justify revolution.” ---- Abraham Lincoln
“We were a silent, hidden thought in the folds of oblivion, and we have become a voice that causes the heavens to tremble.” ---- Kahlil Gibran
