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I wouldn't call prohibition a triumph of democracy; just a different kind of failure mode for democracy. There was a relative minority of the population that wa

I wouldn't call prohibition a triumph of democracy; just a different kind of failure mode for democracy. There was a relative minority of the population that wanted prohibition and were able to form a very effective "lobbying" effort, otherwise known as destroy any candidate who was against prohibition in the primaries. It is the same type of thing we see today in issues such as gun control, where we have massive popular support for one side of the issue (increased background checks), but it is still politically dangerous to pursue it because of a powerful lobby.

001sky 12y ago
http://www.gallup.com/poll/179045/less-half-americans-support-stricter-gun-laws.aspx http://www.gallup.com/poll/179045/less-half-americans-suppor...
- lostcolony 12y ago
  But, per my response elsewhere, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/04/03/90-percent-of-americans-want-expanded-background-checks-on-guns-why-isnt-this-a-political-slam-dunk/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/04/03/90...
  - 001sky 12y ago
    Stronger borders: 80 percent support stricter border control to try and reduce illegal immigration in a newly released Post-ABC poll. That's funny.
pessimizer 12y ago
>It is the same type of thing we see today in issues such as gun control, where we have massive popular support for one side of the issue (increased background checks) I don't think that this is true. I'd have to see some sort of evidence because my impression is that about half of people are for/against stricter gun laws, and that this is sharply divided over red/blue, urban/suburban-rural lines. I actually think that the NRA covers up a lot of support for increased liberalization of gun laws, because the advocacy from the gun lobby seems largely driven by racist dog whistling.
- lostcolony 12y ago
  IT's a bit weird. On the one hand, general feeling for 'gun control' has gotten less popular (and < 50% feel we 'need stricter gun control' - http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/07/23/six-facts-about-guns-violence-and-gun-control/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/07/23/s...), on the other hand, 90% of Americans think we need expanded background checks ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/04/03/90-percent-of-americans-want-expanded-background-checks-on-guns-why-isnt-this-a-political-slam-dunk/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/04/03/90... ). What's absolutely bizarre to me, though, is how many people seem to treat expanded background checks as a -major issue- when it comes to voting. As in, I've seen threads where people have said "OMG, this Democrat wants to require background checks when private gun owners sell to other private gun owners! Thank God all the polls are favoring the Republican!" Nevermind the economy, civil rights, etc, we have to be able to legally sell guns to each other without the government knowing about it!
  - hga 12y ago
    One big problem with "expanded background checks" is the gaping distance from that seemingly innocent phrase and what's actually proposed, and in the recent case of Colorado, imposed. These are "flypaper laws", clearly designed to zap innocent gun owners as well as what they're ostensibly supposed to do, which in practice turns out to be nearly zilch, preventing temporary transfers, AKA lending your gun, at gun ranges, while hunting, etc. It's telling that back when there Colorado has some serious flooding, the authorities felt compelled to promise that they wouldn't prosecute people who temporary placed their guns with friends or relatives on higher ground. It's a major, in your face issue, never mind those of us who know our 20th Century history and are therefore rather allergic to "the government knowing about it". Or the implication that the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (RKBA) is not a fundamental civil right.

001sky 12y ago

http://www.gallup.com/poll/179045/less-half-americans-support-stricter-gun-laws.aspx http://www.gallup.com/poll/179045/less-half-americans-suppor...

lostcolony 12y ago
But, per my response elsewhere, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/04/03/90-percent-of-americans-want-expanded-background-checks-on-guns-why-isnt-this-a-political-slam-dunk/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/04/03/90...
- 001sky 12y ago
  Stronger borders: 80 percent support stricter border control to try and reduce illegal immigration in a newly released Post-ABC poll. That's funny.

pessimizer 12y ago

>It is the same type of thing we see today in issues such as gun control, where we have massive popular support for one side of the issue (increased background checks) I don't think that this is true. I'd have to see some sort of evidence because my impression is that about half of people are for/against stricter gun laws, and that this is sharply divided over red/blue, urban/suburban-rural lines. I actually think that the NRA covers up a lot of support for increased liberalization of gun laws, because the advocacy from the gun lobby seems largely driven by racist dog whistling.

lostcolony 12y ago
IT's a bit weird. On the one hand, general feeling for 'gun control' has gotten less popular (and < 50% feel we 'need stricter gun control' - http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/07/23/six-facts-about-guns-violence-and-gun-control/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/07/23/s...), on the other hand, 90% of Americans think we need expanded background checks ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/04/03/90-percent-of-americans-want-expanded-background-checks-on-guns-why-isnt-this-a-political-slam-dunk/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/04/03/90... ). What's absolutely bizarre to me, though, is how many people seem to treat expanded background checks as a -major issue- when it comes to voting. As in, I've seen threads where people have said "OMG, this Democrat wants to require background checks when private gun owners sell to other private gun owners! Thank God all the polls are favoring the Republican!" Nevermind the economy, civil rights, etc, we have to be able to legally sell guns to each other without the government knowing about it!
- hga 12y ago
  One big problem with "expanded background checks" is the gaping distance from that seemingly innocent phrase and what's actually proposed, and in the recent case of Colorado, imposed. These are "flypaper laws", clearly designed to zap innocent gun owners as well as what they're ostensibly supposed to do, which in practice turns out to be nearly zilch, preventing temporary transfers, AKA lending your gun, at gun ranges, while hunting, etc. It's telling that back when there Colorado has some serious flooding, the authorities felt compelled to promise that they wouldn't prosecute people who temporary placed their guns with friends or relatives on higher ground. It's a major, in your face issue, never mind those of us who know our 20th Century history and are therefore rather allergic to "the government knowing about it". Or the implication that the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (RKBA) is not a fundamental civil right.