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Remember that study saying America is an oligarchy? 3 rebuttals say it's wrong. - Vox

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In 2014, a slew of headlines seemed to confirm what many had long suspected — that the rich were actually the ones in control and the rest of us chumps were just along for the ride: "Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy"; "Princeton Study: US No Longer An Actual Democracy"; "Study: You Have 'Near-Zero' Impact on US Policy"; "Study: Politicians listen to rich people, not you"; "Rich people rule!" All of these stories were about a study by political scientists Martin Gilens of Princeton and Benjamin Page of Northwestern, modestly titled, "Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens." Their conclusion was explosive: "Economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence." The paper soon went viral as proof that America is an "oligarchy" (the press's term, not theirs) where

Politics Remember that study saying America is an oligarchy? 3 rebuttals say it’s wrong. by Dylan Matthews May 9, 2016, 12:00 PM UTC The rulers of America? Not so fast. Tim Graham/Getty Images Dylan Matthews was a senior correspondent and head writer for Vox’s Future Perfect section. He is particularly interested in global health and pandemic prevention, anti-poverty efforts, economic policy and theory, and conflicts about the right way to do philanthropy. In 2014, a slew of headlines seemed to confirm what many had long suspected - that the rich were actually the ones in control and the rest

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