CNN: Majority says government a threat to citizens' rights

[JEQuidam Jeff]

A majority of Americans think the federal government poses a threat to rights of Americans, according to a new national poll.

Fifty-six percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday say they think the federal government's become so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens. Forty-four percent of those polled disagree.

CNN poll: Majority says government a threat to citizens' rights (February 26, 2010)

[TheTrucker Mike]

In that same poll:

According to CNN poll numbers released Sunday, Americans overwhelmingly think that the U.S. government is broken - though the public overwhelmingly holds out hope that what's broken can be fixed.

Do not be mislead by Fuax Noise and Rasmussen. And do not let yourself be too carried away with this CNN deal either. Most of this sentiment has been stirred up by the Tea Baggers and is the worst form of mob rule democracy. And it is this sort of incitement to riot that makes many people want to reduce the representation and embrace authoritarianism. Fear is a two edged sword.

[JEQuidam Jeff]

In that same poll:

According to CNN poll numbers released Sunday, Americans overwhelmingly think that the U.S. government is broken - though the public overwhelmingly holds out hope that what's broken can be fixed.

The polls have shown for a long time that people recognize that we cannot rely upon Congress to faithfully represent us, and that widespread recognition of that fact appears to have increased over the last year or so.

This is also why so many Americans don't vote. In 2006 only 40% of eligible voters voted in the federal elections. In 2008, only 61% voted in the federal elections. Many voters understandably stay home when they don't perceive a difference between the Tweedledee and Tweedledum candidates.

Interestingly, when you do the math, in 2008 the president was elected by approximately 31% of eligible voters. It is a very dangerous situation for a representational democracy when so few participate in choosing our representatives -- especially when they do so because they don't have faith that any of the candidates will actually represent them.