Equality of Interest and the Reality of Inequality

In “Beyond SES: A Resource Model of Political Participation” and “The Big Tilt: Participatory Inequality in America,” Verba, Schlozman, and Brady argue that time, money, and civic skills (collectively known as resources) affect an individual’s capacity and/or willingness to participate in politics. Verba, Schlozman, and Brady assert that “democracy rests on the notion that the needs and preferences of no individual should rank higher” (“The Big Tilt” 22) than any others in the political realm. As money continues to play an increasingly important role in the political world, certain economic and social classes will be marginalized within the democratic system that exists in the United States. Verba, Schlozman, and Brady argue that class really does matter when it comes to American politics. Essentially, American citizens in the lower socio-economic brackets of society are less likely to participate in politics and are also less influential if they do participate (because they generally contribute time, not money). Ultimately, we must ask ourselves a few questions about our political system. Is the current state of our political system in America a violation of democracy? Are equal participatory rights a fundamental principle of democracy? And if so, are certain Americans actually denied equal participatory rights in the current state of democracy?

In my opinion, equal participatory rights are a fundamental principle of democracy (with a few exceptions). Even if the founding fathers did not intend for the majority of the American population to be actively involved in political decision making, rights and freedom for all citizens (including African Americans and women) are readily accepted in the country today. Now to a more challenging question—are certain individuals or classes denied equal participatory rights? For the most part, I do not believe that any American is intentionally denied the right of equal participation. I do recognize that there is a disparity in the levels of participation between the rich and the poor and whites and minorities, etc. However, Americans are not being legally barred from participating in the democratic process (with the exception of felons). The fact of the matter is that inequality will always exist in the United States. There will always be a disparity in the levels of wealth between the rich and the poor. Authors need to remember that this is a free market capitalist society; we do not base our political and economic systems on socialist or communist values. As Verba, Schlozman, and Brady explain that “any system that denies equal participatory rights violates a fundamental principle of democracy” (“The Big Tilt” 22), I can’t help but wonder what type of political system they would propose. Even more, I am curious to see their solution to fixing the apparent problem and disparity that exists when it comes to political participation. Perhaps it is time to move on from the blame game and suggest some real solutions. Realistically, I do not see “education and income” (24) inequality ending any time soon. Let’s focus on how to produce the best form of democracy with the circumstances that we have at hand. The bottom line is political participation is a choice and a large portion of the American population chooses not to participate. Even if all citizens had access to the same level of education or made relatively comparable salaries, a significant portion of the population would probably still not participate in politics (in one form or another).