20 years of data reveals that Congress doesn't care what we think. [View all]

[Triana]

For the last few years, I've had this sense that everything I learned as a kid about how America's government works is completely wrong. But I had no idea how bad things actually were until I saw one simple graph.



Professors Martin Gilens of Princeton University and Benjamin Page of Northwestern University looked at more than 20 years of data to answer a pretty simple question: Does the government represent the people?

This video gives a quick rundown of their findings and explains what's going on in the simple graph above:

Things start out bleak, but stick with it — it's not all depressing.

. . . “The preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy."

THE REST:

http://www.upworthy.com/20-years-of-data-reveals-that-congress-doesnt-care-what-you-think?g=2&c=upw1