Rasmussen creates a social class with totally ambiguous definition:

[JohnWxy]

http://dingodonkey.wordpress.com/2009/12/28/rasmussens-political-class/

Rasmussen’s Political Class

Posted in liberty, politics by dingodonkey on December 28, 2009


Rasmussen has defined a really fantastic concept for its poll interpretations: the Political Class. The very name evokes images of power elites and pundits, fervently applauding their own efforts while peppering their language with meaningless phrases like “the American people” and “Main Street” (vs. “Wall Street”). Oh, you didn’t get all that from it? Well, I did… Maybe I’m too bitter. Anyway, the Political Class is that small group of elites and its ardent supporters, the ones who try to brand themselves as populists but are in fact concerned primarily with the goodness of their own power and authority.

Rasmussen defines the category based on a three-question poll:

1.Generally speaking, when it comes to important national issues, whose judgment do you trust more – the American people or America’s political leaders?

2.Some people believe that the federal government has become a special interest group that looks out primarily for its own interests. Has the federal government become a special interest group?

3.Do government and big business often work together in ways that hurt consumers and investors?

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Rasmussen
defines the "political" class and "populist" class by how people answer the three questions:

The questions used to calculate the Index are:

-- Generally speaking, when it comes to important national issues, whose judgment do you trust more - the American people or America’s political leaders?

-- Some people believe that the federal government has become a special interest group that looks out primarily for its own interests. Has the federal government become a special interest group?

-- Do government and big business often work together in ways that hurt consumers and investors?

To create a scale, each response earns a plus 1 for the populist answer, a minus 1 for the political class answer, and a 0 for not sure.

Those who score 2 or higher are considered a populist or part of the Mainstream. Those who score -2 or lower are considered to be aligned with the Political Class. Those who score +1 or -1 are considered leaners in one direction or the other.

In practical terms, if someone is classified with the Mainstream, they agree with the mainstream view on at least two of the three questions and don’t agree with the Political Class on any.

I have never read such a load of bullshit. This makes no sense at all. These questions are loaded questions to begin with and on top of that, individuals could answer much the same way and have different political philosphies. Is this "category", so defined, supposed to predict voting behavior? This "category" includes people all over the political spectrum. This is a "category" whose membership would be constantly changing depending upon who's in power. Rasmussen seems intent upon coming up with a class called "populist" (which they also call "mainstream") which includes anybody who ever disagreed with a Government policy.

Nonsense on top of nonsense.

[Lorien]

1. The government is supposed to represent the people in a democracy

so perhaps they should have rephrased it as - "Generally speaking, when it comes to important national issues, whose judgment do you trust more - A government of, by and for the Corporations or a government of, by and for it's Citizens?" "The American people" could mean anything by their definition; teabaggers or the sane? Stockholders? CEOs? Activists? Who?

[Hello_Kitty]

2. I saw that a while ago and thought it was hogwash too.

Totally loaded questions and I don't know anyone who would come out as Political Class on that and I know tons of politicians and politicos.