Watch this video and note how the people on the street imagine America to be more equal than it actually is. It turns out that America has an extraordinarily high level of economic inequality -- much greater than any other advanced industrialized country in the world and far more unequal compared to countries like Sweden or Norway.
Here is my point: Wealthy and upper middle class elites are disproportionately represented in Congress. And, a very small number of very wealthy people own the vast majority of income and property in America. Wealthy American citizens exercise greater influence over Congress and own most of the stuff around the country -- poor and working class Americans exercise way less influence over Congress and own way less stuff in America.
What do you think?
Can a millionaire properly represent your economic interests? Does a millionaire know what it is like to be poor or middle class? Why do you suppose that poor and middle class people continue to elect millionaires to Congress? Could electing millionaires actually hurt poor and middle class Americans? Would America be more economically equal if more poor and working class citizens were elected to political office?
Can a millionaire properly represent your economic interests? Does a millionaire know what it is like to be poor or middle class? Why do you suppose that poor and middle class people continue to elect millionaires to Congress? Could electing millionaires actually hurt poor and middle class Americans? Would America be more economically equal if more poor and working class citizens were elected to political office?
Although the millionaires of Congress tend to try to understand the struggles of the middle and lower classes, the best way of obtaining knowledge is by experience, and most of the time they have zero experience. There is no way that they can fully understand the struggles unless they have been through them themselves. Poor and middle class people continue to vote for these people because it is so ingrained in us to vote. Electing these people could actually hurt the poor and middle class because decisions could be made that are not technically the right decisions for these people. This goes back to millionaires not fully understanding the lifestyles of the poor and middle classes. If we could balance the people elected into political office more in terms of wealth, our country would be more balanced in general.
ReplyDeleteCara Mason
PSCI 100:02
You can only represent my issue if you have also faced the same issues I've had, how could a millionaire or elite political figure ever relate to me?
Delete-Jessica Fort PSCI 100: MWF 11-12
It would be hard for a millionaire to represent me because they don't have the same needs or interests as I do. People of the middle a lower class elect them because they are the main ones to vote for. Electing them can potentially be harmful if they don't know how to represent the poor or middle class.
ReplyDeleteJ.C. Mao-Alston
PSCI 100:03
We elect rich people because we have no other choice. Rich people run for office, and can get their name out there by buying lots of ads because they're rich. Poor people don't stand a chance because they can't afford to by any ads, so they can't convince people to vote for them.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, there are some congressmen who really can relate to the poor. Harry Reid grew up dirt poor in the middle of the desert in Nevada. He knows what it's like to barely be able to afford food. Has he forgotten his past? I don't know, but the point is that some congressmen do actually know what it's like to be poor.
Alex Smith
PSCI 100:02
I agree with Alex, we elect rich people because we have no other choice. Only the rich can afford to even run for president. They say that billions of dollars goes into campaigning. Someone with average income cannot run for office, well presidency.
DeleteI feel that no congressman can relate to the average American because they do not live the average American. Most congressmen are truly wealthy and for them to know where an average individuals problems are coming from is just comical.
Tyrek Collier
PSCI 100:03
I too agree with Alex. We don't have any other options when it comes to electing people. I'm sure some can relate, but once they get in office I feel like they forget.
DeleteHaley Smith
Psci 100:02
I agree with Alex. The U.S is so in dept that citizens believe that voting for a "wealthy" candiate would have a greater chance of getting us out of dept and provide for those struggling financially.
DeleteAshley Cole
PSCI :100:02
Although I think the video doesn't necessarily key in on the questions at hand, I think the first part is a good show of how much people don't know.
ReplyDeleteI would first like to say that I don't mind that congressman are millionaires. Most congressman don't get their money from doing those jobs, they usually have family wealth or businesses beforehand that help them out. I think that it is misleading to say that congressmen are millionaires without stating where the money came from.
I DO however think that we should not have these people running our country. Without getting too much into my point of view, I think they are disconnected with citizens in general, and not just by wealth. It has always been a problem that federal government officials do not know what is going on in "the real world". State and local governments know way more about what is going on and usually do a better job.
Brandon Smead
PSCI 100:03
I think that the U.S. inequality is amazing. The fact that people don't realize that we are in an unequal system is crazy. I don't think that a millionaire can accurately represent me because they have no idea what my life is like. They may say they have good intentions for the nation, but most people will look out for themselves first and would naturally support bills that favor the class that they are in. People continue to elect because they don't want or can't afford to run themselves. We want to believe that these people can understand us and have our best interests at heart, and rhetoric goes a long way to convincing people that you understand them. Most people vote for the better of two evils, the one who can help them the best.
ReplyDeleteKayla Piechowiak
PSCI 103-03
The reason why so many rich people are elected into office is because they have the money to run expensive ad campaigns to get their names out there. For so long, the main way to get your name and cause out to the public was to run an ad on tv or put one in the paper, and those cost money. However, with all these free social networking sites we have now such as Twitter and Facebook, it's much easier for people to communicate their cause. Just look at the Kony 2012 campaign. They used Youtube to make a video about their cause and it went viral and millions of people saw it and got involved. Imagine if the younger generation could do that with elections. I don't think this idea is that far into the future, as it is our generation who will eventually inherit this country.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with no longer electing millionaires to run our country. Many of them get their money from their wealthy families and sponsors and have never been in the position of a working middle class American. This means they could not understand war's best for the working class of America, and many rich congressman and Senators seem to only care about themselves and their money. If we put a working class American in there who has an income of let's say $60,000 a year, they will know what it's like to be in a working class position and therefore know what policies would better benefit the average American citizen, not just the filthy rich. I think this would lead to greater economic equality for sure.
Matt Deal
PSCI 100
It saddens me to hear the woman from Haiti say that there is the American dream but it isn't for her. It is unfair that she as well as all working Americans are doing all of the right things but as she said the dream is being pulled away from her. Being rich is not the important thing here, but the equality of class. I think that if a wealthy politician took a walk in our shoes (middle/low class) they would hopefully have more of an understanding on what issues they would really need to address. I think that if a lower/working class citizen ran for office, we would be better represented. The working class person would not be putting out money for stupid campaigning signs, they would be focusing on what needs to be done for the people.
ReplyDeleteCarleigh Underwood PSCI 100:03
A millionaire can only represent the low income people, only if they know what being poor is. A millionaire who has never been poor can never understand the hardships that it is to live pay check to pay check. So how can they possibly represent low income people? The reason why is because they can't. There are two reasons low income people keep electing rich people. Reason #1 is because they have no better option rich people are the only one that can run and they can afford to run. Second reason is because of there preference to their own party. They rather have a rich person from their same party "support" them instead of having the opposite party candidate. Rich people have help low income and middle class people before. All of our US presidents have been rich and most have helped out the poor. It just depends on what rich person is in power, but in general rich people only tend to help themselves. America would change if it were to have working class people in office, but it wouldn't change as much. The reason why is because you would always have powerful corporations and people buying out politicians. So corruption will always be a part of political figures. That is something that will not change in America.
ReplyDeleteCarlos Amaya
PSCI 100
I couldn't be represented by a millionaire because they are far to different when it comes to needs and resources. They usually don't work to become that wealthy and are born Into it and most middle class and poor class have to work hard to maintain where they are so they wouldn't know how to represent me. And if they were to be elected it can be risky for our class and you can't know the struggle until you experience it.
ReplyDeleteDominique Dixon
PSCI 100
There are a lot of problems with millionaires representing all citizens in America, and its almost funny to think that a lot of the poor people keep electing the same people yet they are still poor. I always heard my Grandma say "the rich get rich and the poor get poorer" in this would be her argument of why we need a democrat for president, but she votes D, and is still a poor 80 year old woman with 2 jobs. I don't think it matters who is elected in office, I just need to get into politics, that's where the money is right? I wanted to be a physical therapist, but I would have to pay high premiums for health care, and I would still be taxed till I cant feed my family, so why have dreams anymore, become a politician, that's where we could make a difference correct? Yet once we are holding office, we forget all about the shit poor place we came from and start playing the game to become wealthy. This has to be some kind of joke, we need to start pushing for laws to get these elected leaders to have some sort of quota or work output, and be compensated for what they actually do, not just sitting high on the hog and letting that hog shit all over the lower class citizens, I think the only way to get this accomplished is for all Americans to come together and call BULLSHIT. This I understand will never happen, because the average American has real problems like a mortgage and kids to feed, they don't have time to tell off a house full of jackasses, and demand they use our taxes the way we say they should be used, instead of raising their own salary. Yeah, Americans are too happy with the mediocre life they are living, and how the value of our money is being flushed down the toilet, than to care or get involved in politics. I would love to be elected into office, but then there is that money talks attitude you get once you're there. I would love to live in a fascist America, as long as I was the dictator, but whoever has the $$ is the winner.
ReplyDeleteChelse O'Connor
Its not impossible for a millionaire to represent my economic interests, but certainly its unlikely. I imagine there are very few millionaires indeed who know what it is like to be poor, and even if they were once poor, how many actually remember enough to really understand?
ReplyDeletePeople are convinced time and time again to vote against their own interests by electing wealthy people who only represent the wealthy, through either outright lies or just misleading statements. And nothing need be said about the scam of trickle-down economics.
The question of electing more working class officials is a tricky one, because, as has been said for many, many years, power corrupts. And a working class person elected to the senate stops being working class pretty quickly, don't they? A change like this would require reform of the laws regarding lobbying and giving of money to elected officials (which are in DIRE need of reform anyway) because otherwise my answer would be that a working class person is just as, if not more, susceptible to corruption and bribery as a congressperson, which is the actual problem anyway.
Pete Sheehan psci100:03
They are convinced to vote on who yells the loudest, or the misinterpretation of information or the political projection we project out into the world.
Delete-Jessica Fort PSCI100 MWF 11-12
I find it hard to believe that a millionaire can represent the economic interests of Americans today. As we spoke about in class, how can a millionaire understand the struggles and trials that an average American family goes through, when they themselves are not experiencing it? Yes, they may be able to empathize if they had grown up into a poor family, however they could not understand the hardships of raising their own family and struggling to support them on a low income in today's society. Poor and middle class people continue to elect these millionaires, because in reality they have no other option. The reason millionaires are able to run is because they are the only people who can actually afford to do so. Electing the rich Americans for office does hurt the middle and lower class of society, because the wealthy does not understand the needs of lower and middle class Americans. If middle class to lower income Americans could run in office, I feel that more issues and concerns amongst the lower class would be heard and solved. The elected lower class Americans would be enduring the same exact hardships as any other average American citizen, and they would be able to understand what changes and improvements would take stress of the lower/middle class, rather than the wealthy Americans pretending to understand how the lower/middle class feels.
ReplyDeleteShannon Lyons
PSCI 100:03
I personally think it is nearly impossible for a millionaire to properly represent my economic interests. How can they possibly understand if they themselves have never experienced living paycheck to paycheck? Yet these millionaires continue to be elected to congress. I definitely believe that this could be hurting us because our best interests are not being represented. The same rich people continue to be elected though, and I think it has a lot to do with the general lack of education of our country’s government among its own people. I definitely believe it could be beneficial to elect more poor and working class citizens to political office. Unfortunately for us, I feel like this happening is not very likely.
ReplyDeleteKatelyn Amspacher
PSCI 100:03
I do not think the rich can represent American people's interests. A millionaire knows what it is like to be poor and middle class if they worked up from it, but those chances are slim. Most politicians are born wealthy and inherent that wealth. People continue to elect these officials because they have no other option. They should just choose not to vote at all, but they want that "power" to say that they voted. Electing millionaires can hurt the economy in my opinion because they will just pass more laws so the wealthy people can make more money. If it was the other way around and the Senators and other officials made what an average citizen did, you can guarantee that there would be laws to benefit the working class citizens. Just like in the government shutdown, their jobs weren't at stake so they took their time trying to figure out the budget. It is a possibility that America could be more economically stable if everyone elected were not millionaires.
ReplyDeleteBlake Johnson
PSCI 100:03
It's not possible for a millionaire to represent my interest, he/she does not live day to day and face the same economic/social/environmental issues as I and many other's face. But also I can represent those of lower or upper middle class either. It should be about equal representation. It's not so much sharing wealth, it's the set up of taxation. Docile creatures we've become, and as long as we can survive the rule of the rich will remain. Distribution of wealth from large corporations to the poor isn't a policy that could be implaced on U.S. citizens. The thought of a progressive taxation seems like a more suitable and realistic possibility. A lot the efforts to move towards such taxation has been shut down by politicians who are financially sustained by wealthy corporations. It needs to be based on an individual level of wealth.
ReplyDelete-Jessica Fort PSCI 100 MWF 11-12
No, I don't think there's any way that a millionaire could properly represent my economic interests. Even if said millionaire happened to be poor or middle class growing up, becoming rich changes people and their interests. I really don't know why poor and middle class people continue to elect millionaires to Congress, except for that maybe they're the only ones in the running. Wealthy people are really the only ones with the time and the resources to campaign. I think that electing these people to Congress actually does hurt poor and middle class citizens because the wealthy people elected have their own agendas. Obviously America would be more economically equal if more poor and working class people were elected to office but do I think that will ever happen? Sadly, no.
ReplyDeleteKayla McFarland PSCI 100.03
I don’t believe that a wealthy person, such as a congress member, could relate to a low class worker on the financial level. Economically, we look at necessities like groceries and gas with concerns on their costs. However, people like the congress, don’t have the worries of budgeting day to day. Electing these millionaires has become what we do best, though. Even though their struggles are often deciding between a new yacht or Ferrari, we believe their campaigns and see them fit to meet our wants. This has gone on for decades, yet have we not noticed that nothing has really changed for us? Ultimately, they buy our votes by installing hopes of a better economic sstate. Little have we recognize, their promises have come up empty-handed. If low working class individuals were able to successfully run in the political world, I think we would see more sincerity from offices.
ReplyDeleteVictoria Wilson
100:02
Unless a millionaire that is a congress person was born into a poor or working class family I do not think that they could represent other working class economic interests. I think that the poor and middle class continue to elect millionaires to Congress because that's our only option. You never see a poor person investing and purchasing a campaign for themselves and unless they were very well connected, they would probably fail. So we continue with our only options of wealthy people without realizing it might actually not be to our benefit. I certainly think America would be more economically equal if more working class citizens were a part of Congress and elected to political office.
ReplyDeleteJoey Diaz
PSCI 100.03
I think a millionaire in congress can represent the working class. Sure, they most likely weren't born into a working class family, and therefore have not experienced first hand what it is like to grow up and live like working class families do, but that doesn't mean they wont look out for the working class people. That saying "it takes one to know one" isn't necessarily true, but where politicians go wrong is when they try to identify with the middle or low class because we all know they aren't from these classes.
ReplyDeleteEven though I believe some wealthy politicians can have the lower classes in their best interest, I believe it would be highly beneficial to have the lower classes more represented in congress to ensure a greater equality among all the classes.
Alicia White
100:02
Like pretty much everyone else said, unless they have been through it themselves, no, I don't believe a millionaire could properly represent the working class. These millionaires are getting elected because for one, that's really all there is to choose from on the ballots as running campaigns and whatnot can cost millions. Obviously the millions of dollars the working class does not have. Secondly, these politicians persuade the lower and working classes into supporting them because they can make America better, somehow. They (working and lower classes) believe that this millionaire can relate to them and understand what they are going through during their day to day lives, when really, they don't. The wealthy may have budgets, but they most certainly don't live paycheck to paycheck, stressing if they'll be able to keep their electric on at the end of the month or pay any bills at all. The wealthy say they can do this or they can do that, they understand your struggles and what you go through. But in reality, no. They just want your vote.
ReplyDeleteI do feel that electing millionaires actually hurts the lower and middle classes and I think it's evident all around us; such as taxes. The lower and middle classes get hit with higher taxes, while the upper and wealthy classes don't get much. And I feel that America would be more economically equal if the lower and middle classes were better represented in the various political offices. But will this ever happen? Who knows.
Megan Douglas
PSCI 100:02
I honestly do not believe millionaires can relate to middle and lower class Americans. Maybe the politicians that actually worked and came from an average American home can relate to the rest of us, but definitely not the ones who inherited their money. Those that inherited their wealth, more than likely never had to lift a finger for anything. So how can someone who did not have to do anything for themselves, represent those who had to support themselves at a young age or worked their whole lives. They cannot relate to our situations. They come from a home where all their bills were paid on time, their was always a nice meal prepared for them, and had pretty much everything they ever wanted at their finger tips. They never had to struggle to make ends meet, so why do Americans keep electing them?
ReplyDeleteI feel that the reason why we keep electing them is because we allow money to control us, it is the reason we keep electing those with it. In America, the more money you have, the more power you should have. It is almost like we forgotten that we are all humans; people should not be on top just because they are wealthy. The wealthy are just taking advantage of us by brainwashing us into believing that they have more power than we do, and it needs to stop. Every time we put someone in office because of their wealth, all they do is create laws and regulations that favor them. If we keep electing them to represent us, our economy will only get worse. The rich will continue to get richer, while the rest of us go through another depression. They will have a warm, cooked meal every night, while we starve and work three times as hard to support ourselves and our loved ones. Americans need to start electing real representatives, and stop putting the wealthy on high pedestals.
Amanda Malave
PSCI 100:02
I do not think that a millionaire can properly represent me and other nonmillonaires. Most millionaires have no idea what it is like to not have an abundance of cash. As for the reason why poor and middle class people keep electing millionaires, I believe there are two reasons. First, just as people generally think that poor people are stupid and lazy, people generally assume that rich people are the exact opposite. Second, it is almost impossible for a poor or middle class person to compete with a millionaire. I think electing millionaires can definitely hurt lower class people, as the rich will almost always support policies that benefit themselves. A middle class or working class would similarly look out for their own interests, however, there interests coincide with a much larger percentage of people.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Smith
PSCI 100:02
The millionaires running our country can not relate to the vast majority our population. Therefor, they will probably not make choices with our best interest at heart because they don't know what is best for us. The poor and middle class continue to elect millionaires because a) they are oblivious and b) they don't have any other options. (other than don't vote at all) America would probably become more economically equal if the poor and working class citizens had more control in our government but that will never happen with the insane prices for running a campaign. But if it did I think the government would still become corrupt because big corporations will continue to hand them millions of dollars to be on their side. Lobbying will make those citizens just as rich as the old white guys we have now.
ReplyDeleteMaggie Nevin
PSCI 100:03
I do not think that a millionaire can properly represent my economic interests because I think when one has a lot of money they can have a jaded view of the world. They believe that they can purchase whatever they want and people will always be nice and accomodating when in reality this is not true. There are some millionaires that grew up in poor or middle class families and have worked very hard to get where they are and earn those millions of dollars. However, the economy shifts drastically all the time. Therefore, what might have been considered poor or middle class back then could be different now. I think that voters do not take the time to research or get to know members Congress or representatives so they are probably unaware of that person's wealth. They could also choose to believe "empty promises" from Congress or believe that Congress understands them when in reality they don't. I think electing millionaires does not hurt America but it does make it hard for the lower class to have a voice. It would be interesting to have someone from lower or middle class in Congress to see if those people would be well represented.
ReplyDeleteHaley Greene
PSCI 100:02
It seems congress produces more millionaires after the incumbent leaves office. I think there are a few millionaires who could represent my interests but they wouldn’t be lawyers, bankers, investors, realtors, and most internet and service oriented millionaires.
ReplyDeleteAs long as corporations are consider “persons” with free speech, the poor and middle class will have a hard time having someone truly represent them. If money to run for campaigns can be legislated to only money from the local area, folks would have a chance. Money coming in from California, New York, Maryland into West Virginia is impossible to beat.
Americans wouldn’t be more economically equal if poor or middle class comprised most of the congress, but they would certainly be more in tune with their constituents and more likely to protect their own from corporations, special interests.
ReplyDeleteNo they can not relate. Even if they come from a lower class and worked their way up they typically can not relate. They forget where they come from. They may use it in their campaign to pander to the lower class and say "Hey I am you! I used to be in your shoes! Blah blah blah." But when it comes down to it. They're not. We continue to elect these people because they are the only ones that run. Many poor and middle class individuals don't recognize class differences. And John Steinbeck was right---- “Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.”
They still think of they stand a chance in economically bettering themselves and becoming one of them. But they odds are incredibly stacked against them.
I don't think they have the majority of politicians really care about the lower classes. They just pander to them for votes. Most of them are lawyers, and businessmen. Where are the scientists? Where are the historians? Where are the teachers? Where is everyone else and why aren't they being represented?
I'm going to end this with a video from Neil Degrasse Tyson. One of my personal heroes and makes some really good arguments here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKdaRcptVz8
Millionares cannot simply be able to fully be able to represent he vast majority of people in the country. They may be able to try and do their best to look out for the poor and middle class Americans but if you are a millionare you cannot do so effectively simply because they live a different life making them completely unrelateble. The reason why they keep geting elected is because the politicians that spend the most money are the ones that usually are getting elected, thus it is the politicians that have the most will have a greater likelyhood of winning. America would be more equal if they had people that were actually in their vast majority's tax brackett then would people actually feel represented.
ReplyDeleteBen Howar
PSCI100:02
I do not believe that rich can accurately represent the poorer classes in the United States. However, in the US, unless you have wealth to run a campaign and get your name out to voters, typically you will not win elections. I do not believe that they can truly understand the struggle some have in today's economic times.
ReplyDeleteRyan Miller
PSCI 100:02
In my opinion a wealthy congress member has no clue what it is like to be middle class, lower class, and defiantly doesn't know what its like to be in poverty. Millionaires should not be able to make the decision and laws for what the poor people have to follow. They have never lived a day in our shoes and they do not know what those laws will do to us and how they will effect us. It is unfair and the way our democracy works should be changed.
ReplyDeleteMike Reed
People need to be better represented and millionaires representing the people is certainly not a good idea. Rich people have no idea how to represent the poor in the government and therefore an unfair representation becomes an issue
ReplyDeleteKayla Motheral
It is crazy that our representation in government is wealthy, how can they represent our interests? The government is run by money, not the people. Money should not control the government. Wealthy people are not a good representation of Americans.
ReplyDeleteBrenna Rose
PSCI 100.03
I feel as though that a millionaire can not represent our economic interests. A millionaire can only know what it is to be in the lower in middle class if they have experienced it for themselves and many have not experienced it. I have no idea why people continued to elect the wealthy people, the only reason I could think of is because of the way congress portrays themselves to have people elect them. Electing the wealthy hurts the poor and middle class like it is now and it will continue to hurt them. I feel as electing a middle class person could potentially provide equality for citizens but it doesn't guarantee that things will change for the better!
ReplyDeleteNicole Ruane
PSCI 100:02
I feel like i could be represented by a millionaire but depending on their background. For instance, if they were at one time in the lower class and by hard work and dedication they made it to be higher class they would know how it feels to be in lower class peoples' position. They would be able to relate to them and better understand them. So therefor they could make life better for middle and lower class people which after all are the large majority of America.
ReplyDeleteEven if a millionaire has been poor in the past they will most likely use their power to keep the wealth in their favor. Poor and middle class people elect millionaires because in a majority of elections those are the only people running. We feel as if we have no choice. Unlike in the past, to run for an office now takes a substantial amount of money and backing. A presidential campaign can be millions of dollars. If congress was actually representative of united states citizens I believe a lot of economic problems would be dealt with in vastly different ways. There would be no pork. No helping out your other wealthy friends through bills that you help to pass. The people in charge now do not have their priorities straight.
ReplyDeleteAlicia Himes
PSCI 100.02
No millionaire knows what its like to be a part of a poor or middle class unless they've actually experienced it, and worked hard to be where they are now. In saying that, I believe I could be represented by a millionaire if they work toward the best interest of our entire population as a whole, and especially keep in mind the poor and middle classes when making decisions. We continue to elect millionaires into Congress because of the way they are portrayed to us. Majority of Americans don't even think about all the negative affects our leaders can bestow upon us and really hurt certain classes. It's really hard to say that America would be economically equal if more poor and working class citizens were elected to political office because it happens so rarely, therefore we have nothing to compare our opinions to.
ReplyDeleteKelsey Phelan
PSCI 100:02
I absolutely agree that no millionaire knows what it is like to be a part of a middle class or poor class unless they have experienced it. If they have experienced then I think it would be good to be represented by a millionaire. I agree that it would be good only and only if they focused on what the people need and want.
DeleteThe rich cannot represent the poor. A millionaire has no idea of the hardships and constant struggle the lower class experiences. The economic struggle of the lower class is a psychological tick. Once rich, it becomes that much easier to get even more wealthy.The millionaires have us brainwashed with their control over the media and this is why we continue to elect them to congress. The millionaires in congress write bills that favor their class. The United States needs a greater class distribution of elected public officials. Amendments need to be made to the U.S constitution in order to change are tax system and distribution of wealth.
ReplyDeleteThere's no way a millionaire knows of the hardships of being working middle or lower class. Granted, there are always the outliers who have started their rise to fortune from the ground up and can empathize with those who are still on the ground. But as far as any member of Congress goes, their direct concern and aid to the general American public is slim to none. It's always blew my mind to watch people get caught up in the words spoken by potential Congress elects or even lower level elects, during the campaigning process. People will believe just about anything that comes out of a millionaire's mouth. They must have done something right in order to get where they are today, so why not take them at face-value?
ReplyDeleteThere is an inordinate majority of people who fail to see why those campaign promises have not been upheld and why "the people's" best interest has not been upheld. Millionaires promote a pretty image for the average Joe, but their ability to connect with lower class levels is nigh on impossible. Wealth does not rub elbows with poverty, and that has sadly become more of an American way.
Casey DeHaven
PSCI 100:02
I think that the rich can represent the middle class in a way, because senators and everyone in congress had to go to school, had to work their way up to where they are now. I don't think they can represent the poor though because they were never in that economic situation. But the middle and poorer classes keep voting for these people with more money simply because those are the only kind of people that run for anything. Wealthy people can represent the country in a good way, as long as they keep in mind the lower income individuals.
ReplyDeleteDanielle Marple
PSCI 100:02
I think it depends on the person. Not all wealthy people have always been wealthy. SOME have worked their way up and may have been poor at one point. But I do believe that if you were born wealthy, you shouldn't be representing the poor because they wont be able to understand their wants and needs. I think it would become a little more equal if there was a middle class in office.
ReplyDeleteDanielle McManus
PSCI: 100:02
I believe that a millionaire doesn't have the experience to know how it feel to be in the lower or middle class unless they have been in that class. Some millionaires feel as if money doesn't make them, but wealth is a big key in the world today. Millionaires can be great in office as long as they think about the un wealthy people such as the lower and middle class people.
ReplyDeleteI dont think millionaires can properly represent the middle and lower classes when most have them have not experiences the middle or lower class life. Middle class people keep electing higher class people because mainly only high class people can afford to run for election as elections are expensive. Electing millionaires does have an effect on the lower classes as the upper class is mainly only looking out for themselves.
ReplyDeleteMark McCormick
PSCI:03
There is no may millionaires that were born into wealth like most can speak for the poor/middle class. They have no idea what it is like to wake up in the morning and know that if we have a bad day then it could effect every part of our lives. If I miss a day of work then it could cause me to not have enough money to pay my rent. Congressmen who have lived paycheck to paycheck would have so much more experience and self discipline to make decisions that would be humanely right. Everything is money to our government. Greed is probably the best way to describe our government to me. If it doesn't make them money then it doesn't work. which is why us as a lower/middle class would switch the decisons and make more logical explanations of what we plan on doing to keep this nation balanced and everyone seem apart of America
ReplyDeleteHow can a Millionaire know what it means to live an american dream when they speak about hardship and economic struggle while a silver spoon is stuck in their mouths. in a way it almost mocks the idea of hard working representatives if not a single representative has ever fell into hard times. they say people are represented by the clothes on their backs and the cars that they drive. a true worker drives a work truck/van and wears either office suits or construction clothing. representatives in congress are dressed in fine, $2,000 suits wearing $25,000 rolex and driving a $40,000 BMW 3 series. lately, people have forgotten what a hardworking individual looks like. through my eyes, if hard working americans sat next to large money making investors in congress, than yes I do think it would be representing every economic class in america.
ReplyDeleteAn elected person should have common sense, be informed and educated, having money has nothing to do with all these atributes. A millonaire can understand what it is to be in poverty if they are caring and empathetic, otherwise they will not. Sometimes people care, but when they get to be important in their own eyes, they become selfish, and that is what we have in most politicians now.
ReplyDeleteJanet Loue
PSCI 100-02