Intelligaged

That means intelligently engaged individuals, maintaining an interest and an involvement in the world around them. Particularly the manner in which their governments enact legislation that is seen to be useful in advancing the agenda of the country at large. Or otherwise.

It's the "otherwise" that has individuals and groups engaged in delving deeply into the reality of government decision-making and orientation. And holding their government representatives' feet to the fire. Obviously, not with great success at all times, but that's no reason not to continue being alert and responsible.

Governments, when the outcry and the outrage reach high enough decibels, do respond. Not always as fulsomely as required and demanded, but sufficiently so as to inform the intelligaged that they're on the right track, and they've pinched the right nerves.

And, the really interesting thing about this is that a new poll has discovered that this situation of alert citizenry holding their governments to task is a world-wide phenomenon. The word "intelligaged" that defines engaged citizens who keep informed, is a label applied by the Ipsos Global Public Affairs group. Which has identified an informed demographic pushing back.

At what? Their perception that corporate interests don't always benefit the public; in fact they often have the opposite result. Despite which, corporations, which really have no allegiance to their countries of origin, but to the balance sheet and the bottom line, consider the world their stage. Their playground to exploit, with the consent of government whom they excel at manipulating.

Governments and corporations in a coherent combining of interests. Powerful lobby groups persuading governments that their own best interests are realized in the support of economic powerhouses. The survey results demonstrate that 74% of respondents believe that large corporate interests exert too much influence on government decision-making. And fully 69% find agreement in the statement that large companies are more powerful than governments.

These engaged and informed people are clear in their intentions, to instill in government the realization that this demographic feels government should become more aggressive in regulating the activities of national and multinational corporations. This group does exercise some political heft; many of them actively engage in instigating political, economic and social discussions, through activism and signing petitions.

And with the growing utility and influence of the Internet a growing global public awareness is exerting its undeniable influence. People have the utility of a powerful new forum, a medium through which they can make contact with like-minded individuals and form useful alliances. Through which the power of numbers amplify the groups' ability to lobby more effectively.

Governments do pay attention to such polls. They do become alert to the fact that a significant proportion of an educated and activist voting demographic is dissatisfied with certain elements of government action and inaction. Multinationals which operate in a global atmosphere still have certain obligations to fulfill as global entities answerable to government requirements and expectations.

The survey countries included Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, France, Britain, Russia, Belgium, India, Spain, Canada, Turkey, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Sweden, United States, Singapore, Netherlands, Poland, South Korea and Japan. That's fairly impressive as a global perspective on peoples' perceptions with respect to the manner in which corporate interests are seen as inimical to those of a country.

Where people see that corporate interests result in having a "bad influence" on their country's domestic affairs. And that's exactly when governments will have to respond, step up to their national obligations to represent the best interests of the country, not the country's transnational corporations.