Sociology 101: Entry 8
Chapter 15: The United States is commonly referred to as a representative democracy. Do Congressmen and women genuinely represent the masses or has the government become a forum for the powerful elites?
Do they represent the masses? Well, the persona they convey during elections represents the majority of the voting masses. Their actual political behavior does not represent all of the United States however. Not all Americans vote, and the ones that do are usually in positions to gain resources and education for voting decisions, leaving the lower classes scrabbling to figure out what they need to, or being in the dark completely.
Then who the congressmen and women actually are? Most of these polititians are in positions of power and authority, more often then not from the wealthy upper classes of America. These people can never hope to understand lives of the lower, working or middle classes, just as we can never fully be a part of the upper class.
Since the majority of American citizens are not in the upper class, then these Congressmen and women do not represent the masses.
Do they represent the masses? Well, the persona they convey during elections represents the majority of the voting masses. Their actual political behavior does not represent all of the United States however. Not all Americans vote, and the ones that do are usually in positions to gain resources and education for voting decisions, leaving the lower classes scrabbling to figure out what they need to, or being in the dark completely.
Then who the congressmen and women actually are? Most of these polititians are in positions of power and authority, more often then not from the wealthy upper classes of America. These people can never hope to understand lives of the lower, working or middle classes, just as we can never fully be a part of the upper class.
Since the majority of American citizens are not in the upper class, then these Congressmen and women do not represent the masses.