Involved But Grim & Pessimistic

Very few American voters, on both sides of the aisle, believe that the American system of government works. Still, they vote, in record numbers. And our demographic mix is exerting new pressures on the system, one where a truly seminal constitutional amendment is not politically possible today. Within 7 years, the majority of American voters will be Millennials and Gen Z, Americans who did not live through the Cold War or Red Scare, for whom “socialism” is just a word, where tolerance is a generational trait and where climate change sends chills of terror down their backs. They do not have the belief that “things will get better” or that they will have more than did their parents. They can change this nation’s direction… if they can be induced to vote and run for office.

If MAGA literally takes over the majority of Congress, state legislatures, governorships, the presidency and appoints the majority of judges in 2024 and years following… if those younger voters eschew voting: game, set and match to the MAGA GOP, and younger voters just will not matter. MAGA voters are pretty much locked in, but the Democrats are doing themselves no favor by running a candidate who could qualify as the great grandfather to a number of Gen Zs and whose poll numbers seem to be sinking faster than the Titanic.

The other voting statistic of relevance has to involve immigrant citizens, despite a GOP effort to stem that tide, but their concerns are very relevant and do not necessarily skew liberal. Immigrants also appear more optimistic about America’s future, understandable because of where they lived before they moved. The LA Times (9/25/23) tells us that one out of six adults in this country are immigrants. But for most Americans, our system of government just plain does not work. No optimism.

“For more than two decades, social scientists have traced a steady rise in pessimism, especially among white Americans. When asked whether ‘people like me and my family have a good chance of improving our standard of living,’ about three-quarters of Americans of all major racial and ethnic groups said yes in 2000. But attitudes among white Americans have grown much more gloomy since. Today, only about 40% say so, according to an analysis by NORC at the University of Chicago.

“Former President Trump’s campaigns, with their warnings about ‘American carnage’ and national decline, have reinforced that grim mood among his overwhelmingly white followers. But the discontent didn’t start with Trump — he tapped into an existing feeling.

“And as a major new study by the Pew Research Center shows, discontent, especially about the nation’s political system, is bipartisan and deeply felt… Only 4% of U.S. adults say the political system works very well or extremely well; 23% say it works somewhat well. About 6 in 10 Americans express very little or no confidence in the future of the U.S. political system, Pew found.

“Americans say they often feel exhausted (65%) or angry (55%) when they think about politics. Those who have the highest level of engagement — people who actively support candidates, stay informed about public affairs and have strongly held opinions about issues — are the most likely to feel that way… Only 10% say they often feel hopeful about politics; just 4% report often feeling excited.

“Americans have almost always had a jaundiced view of politicians, but the current depth of cynicism toward the political class is startling: 63% say that all or most elected officials in local, state and federal government run in order to make a lot of money.” LA Times.

The United States hardly suffers the level of real “corruption” that impacts most nations deemed corrupt. But our system of government has slowly veered toward prioritizing wealth and simply accepting a “status quo” for everyone else. Income inequality has never been more extreme. We allow rich people to fund campaign contributions without limits (Citizens United v FEC) in ways that represent a violation of anti-corruption laws in other Western countries. We’ve made upward mobility a relic of the past, as housing has become decreasingly affordable and the great social equalizer – education – an aggregate debt-creator rather than being a job creator.

The LA Times continues: “Pew asked the people it surveyed to list weaknesses and strengths of the U.S. political system. The request for weaknesses brought forth a torrent: too much money in politics, too much influence by special interests and, above all, too much partisanship.

“Strikingly, though, when asked to name strengths, a majority couldn’t… Negative feelings about the system ‘cut across partisan categories and demographic groups,’ said Carroll Doherty, Pew’s director of political research. ‘It’s just across the board.’

“Those findings highlight a paradox: More Americans participate in the political process today than ever. In the last three national elections, voter turnout has hit record levels. Low turnout remains a problem in local elections, but on the national level, we’ve successfully banished apathy.

“And Americans agree that the system offers them clear choices: Pew found that only 10% say they don’t see much difference between the parties — a sentiment that was still widespread a generation ago… That leads to a second paradox: In poll after poll, Americans say they deeply dislike partisanship. Yet we’re more partisan than ever: The number of swing voters in the electorate has shrunk to a handful.

“What explains those contradictions is that many Americans vote more out of fear than hope. They may not be enthusiastic about their own party, but they’re convinced the other side poses a deep threat. Many voters see their ballots not as an affirmative choice so much as a move to block bad acts… The share who say that the outcome of elections matters has steadily ticked upward, Doherty noted. ‘They see the idea of loss as devastating.’” It may appear strange, but the future of the United States of America hinges increasingly on new immigrant and rising younger voters. If they do not take over, we are done as a functional democracy.

I’m Peter Dekom, and complacency or not voting are more powerful determinants of our future than passionate, uncompromising partisanship and malign actors fighting against democracy itself.