American Democracy: The Policy Influence of Its Elites and Average Citizens

Author: Christopher Viotto

Field of Study: Political Science

Program Affiliation: Source Project Research Program

Faculty Mentors: Wendy Martinek

Easel: 46

Timeslot: Afternoon

Abstract: Western culture tends to value democratic systems highly, and American democracy stands as the golden exemplar of a democratic system. Particularly, the representative aspects of American democracy play a huge part in ensuring that policy reflects the preferences of the general populace. However, recent research shows that this system is being undermined by actors - who represent less than 1% of the U.S. population - through their unequal influence over national policy. Trends seem to show that the economic elites of our society have a disproportionate influence over policy implementation compared to the average citizen. This study seeks to examine this disparity of influence on a statewide level using public opinion surveys, state congressional sites, and various literature on the subject. In particular, this research aims to evaluate the resources that economic elites use to influence policy, with the expectation being that these resources significantly contribute to this unequal influence.