READING TIME: 2 minutes
SUMMARY: Our democracy has long suffered from a lack of civic engagement. Since Trump’s descent down that golden elevator, we’ve been taking a remedial civics lesson. Our solutions to what has ailed our democracy are completely wanting, though: term limits, age limits, re-election incumbents. The only solution is for us to make civics cool again.
KEY WORDS: Political Divide, Divisive Politics, Democracy, Term Limits, Age Limits, the Incumbent Effect, Civics Lesson, Remedial, Civics Engaging, Outsourcing
COMMENT: How can we make civics cool again? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Our democracy is in trouble. It’s the one thing most of us can agree on. When you ask about the reason, we diverge. The folks on the right side of the polarization divide will say the folks on the left are trying to destroy our democracy — they hate us for our freedoms, they assure us. Those on the left say it’s those on the right trying to usher in single-party, pseudo-democratic, minority-rule white autocracy. Spoiler: the left is right. But, Ye Olde Blogger says the reason we’re in trouble is because of us. We the People. We the voter.
Our democracy is in trouble because the American voter is very passive. The ultimate victims. Completely lacking in agency. We don’t hold our elected officials responsible for their actions. We let ourselves be easily swayed by appeals to our emotions and divisive social issues that, in many cases, aren’t even real. We vote against our own best interests.
Proposals to Improve Our Demcocracy
During the past fifty years we’ve proposed many solutions to the problems our democracy faces. Most of them take the responsibility for hard decisions away from the voter, though.
Term Limits
How many people say we need term limits to keep professional politicians from staying in office for the rest of their lives? Really? If you don’t like the incumbent, not only can you vote for the challenger, you can work to get them elected! You can volunteer, donate money, write letters to the editor, make social media posts. You could even write a snarky, sarcasticky, profaney political psychology blog and change the whole gottam world! Term limits just take the responsibility of the voter to know the candidates, parties, and issues away from them. They encourage disengagement, disinterest, and disillusion. Why pay attention if the limits will handle it for you?
But, but, but — politicians might be more willing to take on special interest groups if they don’t have to worry about reelection! Not if they know they have an informed, engaged, active electorate watching what they do, understanding the issues, and taking their democratic responsibilities seriously.
Age Limits
How many people say we need age limits to protect us from elders in cognitive decline? It seems so reasonable. We all remember the tragedy of Diane Feinstein, who refused to resign as she became increasingly infirm. Obviously, the solution is an age limit! Of course, that would mean we’d be deprived of Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Nancy Pelosi — all because voters can’t be bothered with hard choices.
Why not just advocate for a recall mechanism instead? We have the Twenty-Fifth Amendment for the president. Many states have recall petitions. Why not for all offices? Some will complain that recalls can be abused by cynical political types, but the solution is to make them pay a political price — to be more engaged, not less.
Our passive approach to our democratic responsibilities is one reason the incumbent effect is so strong. We’d rather re-elect a candidate than carefully consider the issues and their record.
Blog On. Siblings!
Image Attribution
The image was found on Cheerfulmonk’s Flickr page and has a Creative Commons license.
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Wee the stinky pipples in Arizona passed a referendum establiching term limits for all state offices in 1992. since then we’ve found:
1. Legislators don’t know how to legislate, and by the time they have enough experience to be good at it, they’re termed out.
2. Because of 1, the people actually writing the laws are unelected lobbyists and special interest groups, like ALEC
3. Far from tempering political factions it has worsened them (and like the rest of the country, mainly in the Republican direction)
4. It has INCREASED corruption, because since the Legislature is in a constant state of churn, it’s easier for powerful legislators to use the system to enrich themselves. (the Senate Leader who rammed though the Charter Schools laws owned a company that consulted for Charter Schools)
We do have term limits: THEY’RE CALLED ELECTIONS! They happen every two years! We can throw out anyone we want to by voting!
Howdy Grouchy!
You’re preaching to the choir. Term limits removes decision making from the electorate and individual voter. It encourages people to check out of the their civic lives. It adds another layer of complexity that you’ve outlined well.
We can vote after studying candidates and issues and decide who is right for the office right now. It makes for the strongest democracy.
Huzzah!
Jack