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The Democracy Gap is the gap between relevant election issues and relevant policy issues. Even though the 99 percent directly elects officeholders based on their expectations of how those candidates will respond to election issues, something occurs once these candidates take office. Vital economic election issues, e.g. the trade deficit, are swept under the rug. Why else has “It’s the economy, stupid” been a recurring election year mantra for over two decades? To be blunt, our political leaders once in office are less responsive to the 99 percent on root-cause economic issues than they are to the 1 percent. How else would the 1 percent get their return on their campaign contributions?
The Greater Deformation: the Corruption of Democracy in America contrasts the narrowing of the wealth gap (1930s through 1960s) to the widening of the wealth gap since policymakers’ u-turn prompted by the 1971 Powell Memo. The Greater Deformation states: “there is no end in sight with the ever widening wealth gap as long as America’s financial aristocracy control which economic issues warrant action.”
The article ends with a call to action for a national referendum on SCOTUS decisions, especially five to four decisions, otherwise, “We the People” will never, on a sustained basis, regain control of our Democracy.
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