In an interview with ABC, when asked about the overwhelming public opposition to endless war in Iraq, Dick Cheney answered, "So?" He added that the US government doesn't have to listen to the people.
The following day, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino told reporters that Americans had their say in 2004, and that the US government needn't listen to their concerns now.
But a new poll by WorldPublicOpinion.org shows that more than 8 in 10 Americans think the US government should listen to public opinion polls and 94% believe that public opinion should affect policy decisions between elections.
Of course, the Bush administration's denial of the voice of the people is a denial of democracy and is a key reason their approval ratings are among the lowest in US history. But then again, the actions of the Bush administration in launching a drive for war from day one – not on his campaign platform as you may recall – signals the importance of the people having a voice in their government everyday.
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