At democracy’s gate

A controversial April 9, 2014 study by two American political scientists, Martin Gilens of Princeton and Benjamin Page of Northwestern, have sent an earthquake like impact among political scientists. This study attempts to answer the question: “Who really matters in our democracy—the general public, or wealthy elites?”

Since the Philippines mirrors the American democracy model, it behooves us to understand the study and see how our democracy has evolved. In understanding the Gilens and Page study, it is important in relating the same to the role of Filipino oligarchs, electoral politics and policy formulation.