CNN Poll: Majority says government a threat to citizens' rights

CNN Poll: Majority says government a threat to citizens' rights

Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser
CNN.com
February 26th, 2010

Washington (CNN) – 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.

The survey indicates a partisan divide on the question: only 37 percent of Democrats, 63 percent of Independents and nearly 7 in 10 Republicans say the federal government poses a threat to the rights of Americans.

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 CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted February 12-15, with 1,023 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for the overall survey.

I'd just be interested if these people think that Corporations also pose a threat to their freedoms.

BubbleBliss wrote:I'd just be interested if these people think that Corporations also pose a threat to their freedoms.

Or unions.

The government of this country has far over-reached it's boundaries of what was intended by the original authors of the U.S. Constitution. They now micro-manage our entire lives, even to the point of telling us what we can and can't eat.. and I for one am sick of it.

We are supposed to be a free-thinking people, but over the past year, more and more of our personal rights have been taken from us.

Yeah, corporations don't make laws or govern. Of course, they're a big part of our lives but corporations come and go.

I'm tired of politicians not representing anymore. That's ok. They're headed towards the line i've been in for 14 months now.

But Corporations hold almost as much power over you as the government does. You rely on them for food, gas, electricity, insurance, etc. and the only one that has control over them is the government. Sure, the people do as well, but only to an extremely small degree.

One flaw I see with the Constitution is that it limited government's power, but seeing that it was written during a time where corporations didn't exist and the economy had no power over politics, I think a couple of changes are in order to keep up with modern times.

BubbleBliss wrote:But Corporations hold almost as much power over you as the government does. You rely on them for food, gas, electricity, insurance, etc. and the only one that has control over them is the government. Sure, the people do as well, but only to an extremely small degree.

One flaw I see with the Constitution is that it limited government's power, but seeing that it was written during a time where corporations didn't exist and the economy had no power over politics, I think a couple of changes are in order to keep up with modern times.

This is the problem I do not understand with some Americans, how they can so happily turn a blind eye to corporations while having distrust in everything their government does.

When I've brought this up with dblboggie he proverbially shrugs his shoulders and says "corporations provide jobs" as though that gives businesses free reign to do as they damn well please. I find that incredibly irresponsible. Governments can be voted out for the bad things they do, corporations just go on and if you stop government from limiting corporate powers then you are in danger of being governed by corporations and corporate interests.

Not to mention that the government provides jobs as well.

I think a lot of Americans nowadays don't even realize how much corporations control their lives. You and me, we know it because corporations in Europe tend not to hold much power over the people, but for Americans, it's been that way ever since corporations have popped up.
Dblboggies always says that the US has never experienced tyranny, a dictatorship, etc. yet they have experienced great control over their everyday life by corporations.

You're confusing 'corporate' America with the American government. Lobbyists can influence our government into doing things for corporate America. However, as we have recently seen, the American government can shut down or take over any sector of corporate America it decides to shut down or take over. It is the government that rules supreme.... often to the detriment of the American people.

Yet Corporate America still has a lot of power over politics by campaign funding, outsourcing, etc.

They also have a lot of power over every day life, because they control goods Americans need to live.

TexasBlue wrote:Yeah, corporations don't make laws or govern. Of course, they're a big part of our lives but corporations come and go.

I'm tired of politicians not representing anymore. That's ok. They're headed towards the line i've been in for 14 months now.

Actually, it's nearly impossible to separate corporations from politics, or the other way 'round.

Lobby groups, (most of the best funded BTW are lobbying FOR corporations...) are what the last few decades of elected officials have been "working" for....from "both accepted" parties.

Politicians do plenty of representing. They just generally represent their own interests, and those of whichever Special Interest group(s) is/are paying the most.

That's true, not to mention the fact that large corporations have a lot of leverage over the politicians. All a company like IBM has to do is say that they'll outsource all their manufacturing and research departments to Mexico, and politicians will pretty much do whatever they want because no political party wants that on their record.

guido wrote:Actually, it's nearly impossible to separate corporations from politics, or the other way 'round.

Lobby groups, (most of the best funded BTW are lobbying FOR corporations...) are what the last few decades of elected officials have been "working" for....from "both accepted" parties.

Politicians do plenty of representing. They just generally represent their own interests, and those of whichever Special Interest group(s) is/are paying the most.

Pretty much. Lobbying from them and unions is thick with dollars like we can't believe. Corporations lobby both parties. Unions lobby Democrats almost exclusively.

That's what pisses me off about today's politicians. They don't represent anymore. They go by what the lobbyists say or just their own personal feelings on the bill. My representative is a Dem (a Blue Dog even) and he pretty much goes by what we tell him up here in Minn. He's even committed to voting No on the final HC bill when that vote comes up.

LOL I have pretty much purposely avoided the thread RE: Unions. I'll derail a bit here, and say that IMO the days for Big Unions has long past, and "collective negotiations" in regards to employment, is better left to smaller groups of trade organizations, and less politically motivated groups of employees.

Honestly, Big Unions, have actually become, (past the '50's) the very thing that they were working "against".

Nearly a monopoly in terms of employment. To make an employee join a union in order to gain employment, or to KEEP a job, IMO is against that person's right to work.

guido wrote:To make an employee join a union in order to gain employment, or to KEEP a job, IMO is against that person's right to work.

That's how it was in my last job. You had to join or get fired. You had thirty days after employment which was when the probationary period ended. That's here in Minnesota. In Texas, it's a right-to-work state. Unions can't force you to join.

TexasBlue wrote:
That's how it was in my last job. You had to join or get fired. You had thirty days after employment which was when the probationary period ended. That's here in Minnesota. In Texas, it's a right-to-work state. Unions can't force you to join.

That policy is a complete detriment to the worker IMO.

Here in my area, there are a few steel fabrication plants with the same policy. As a matter of fact, due to them getting their "recruits" from staffing agencies, they often keep workers until a few days prior to they either have to hire them, and have them join the Union, and then let them go, and replace them.

Wisconsin is a right-to-work state if i remember right. True?

TexasBlue wrote:Wisconsin is a right-to-work state if i remember right. True?

Now yes.

And Brett Favre fans!

TexasBlue wrote:And Brett Favre fans!

R O T F L!

Brett Who?

He'll be back this year. Watch and see.

I'm still rooting for the Cowboys. They really are this close to being a very good team.

TexasBlue wrote:

He'll be back this year. Watch and see.

I'm still rooting for the Cowboys. They really are this close to being a very good team.

Yeah, Dallas may well be a great contender this year. TBH though, I think we, (the Pack) have finally gotten all cylinders firing in unison now. Provided we avoid injury, we should make it to the playoffs again this year...The "Show" too perhaps.

Packers didn't go as far as some thought they would.

Dallas' biggest problem is the owner. He's a GM at the same time. A bad recipe. Phillips is a decent coach but he needs more latitude.

TexasBlue wrote:Packers didn't go as far as some thought they would.

Injuries, and still learning the tricks of McCarthy's game plans killed that. I think it's about on track now.

TexasBlue wrote:Dallas' biggest problem is the owner. He's a GM at the same time. A bad recipe. Phillips is a decent coach but he needs more latitude.

Yep.