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Any polls or surveys of voters’ level of information about policy and function of government is disheartening. And usually really, really easy to manipulate wit

Any polls or surveys of voters’ level of information about policy and function of government is disheartening. And usually really, really easy to manipulate with how you ask the question. Check out surveys of how many US voters understand how marginal income tax rates work, if you want to be sad. I’m aware of at least one fucking tax accountant who doesn’t get it. Confusion on this pretty simple point that most people deal with in some fashion is widespread, let alone less-directly-encountered stuff like in TFA. Reading much of this kind of research will make you wonder how democracy’s not even worse than it is.

orangepurple 3y ago
If you leave America and do business you are also subject to GILTI and FATCA. Guess how many people know about those.
akira2501 3y ago
What this, and the article leaves out, is the US is a collection of 50 states. With 50 separate legislatures and 50 separate law enforcement mechanisms. That's why our republic isn't "worse than it is," we're not bound by waiting for the federal government to solve problems, and probably shouldn't examine the situation through that lens either. Furthermore, I'm not sad because they don't understand, I'm sad because they weren't _taught_ these subjects in school. If the purpose of public education is to produce public citizens, then we've failed miserably. Meandering articles castigating unfounded notions of "corruption" are looking in entirely the wrong direction.