Democracy or “Aristocratic Plutocracy”?
Governance is defined by “Who controls Political Power”
Characteristics of an Aristocracy: “Dominant power by a privileged ruling class”
Entrenched, stagnant, self-perpetuating Two Party political class.
Average congressional tenure is 10 years
79 members > 20 years (historic highs).
Median age: House 59, Senate 61 (historic highs) ; U.S. population, 38
18 of 33 Senators up for re-election 2018 – over 65.
Median net worth average:
Congressman: $1,100,000 (not including hidden home value).
U.S. adult citizen: $44,900.630 former Members work as lobbyists or for lobbying clients (last 5 years).
Strangled choice, closed clique of partisans (2016—All-time records):
- 402 of 435 House seats non-competitive (30 unopposed).
- 97% re-elected.
- Only 8 incumbents defeated (4 only when outspent).
Incumbent’s $$ advantage over challenger (average)
- House: 643% = ~ 6 x times as much $$
- Senate: 1,330% = ~ 13 x times as much $$
Only 14 of 50 states are competitive and...
- Those 14 get 99% of Party ad spending (>50% in 4: FL, OH, NC, PA).
- 36 states are a forgone 1-Party state like China, Russia
Parties cede districts to each other though gerrymandering, $$ targeting.
No matter which Party controls the legislature for re-districting - they
- Connect together their most-favored leaning precincts…
- Thereby ceding the remainder to the Other Party, then also locked in.
Result? Eliminate competition, one for you, one for me.
Few left actually contested — only 33 of 435 (2016 elections).
Revolving door of career politicians, appointed officials, lobbyists, apparatchiks.
Party Federal Patronage:
- 4,000 executive branch.
- 21,000 congressional staff appointees.
Parasitic cadre of lawyers, lobbyists, PR, polling, media, data firms.
14 of top 20 donor revolving doors are Law Firms (320 lobbyists).
Praetorian Guard of prominent white collar defense lawyers @ $1,000./ hr.
Affiliated ideological partisans. “think tanks,” “independent” committees.
Faux charities, foundations, law-lobbying fronts, pass-through conduits.
Increasing academic infiltration through donor class and "think tanks."
- Co-opted faculties, research, partisan centers and events.
- Both Parties’ mega-donors propagandizing students.
- Public MA university refuses FOIA on researchers’ studies because D-Party “think tank” funding source refuses disclosure.