Political Gamesmanship
Ordinary citizens often turn away from any meaningful involvement in the political
process due to the evident perception that politicians in general are
constantly on a path of playing various games, which in many cases are
clandestine. This is usually in pursuit of gaining political advantage
rather than working earnestly towards solving pressing issues of the day
for the benefit of their fellow citizens and electorate.
The corrosive consequence of these games in politics is that everything that a politician says, or does, is treated with suspicion because of negative assumptions about why it is being said or done. The quest of minimizing these game-playing and aspiring to do politics in a more grown-up manner would be good for politicians, as well as benefiting voter participation and the country. Yet party lines and self-interest always seem to take precedence to doing the right thing because of short term thinking which is actually counterproductive for the country.
Most politicians come across as scripted and manipulating. Any discussion or debate appears not to be aimed at solving problems but to score points against the opponent or crafted with an eye on the current poll numbers. Both parties fail to serve the American citizen, but appear to target their policies only to appease people who make financial donations as an inducement for massive corporate profit not for the betterment of the country. Left and right of the political spectrum to the neutral voter, are bent on opposing the other even side. This opposition appears so, even if there is agreement with the policy or if the country will benefit from implementation by passing a bill into law.
The modern political party system in the United States is a two-party system dominated by the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. These two parties have won every United States presidential election since 1852 and have controlled the United States Congress since 1856.
People may participate in politics in many ways. They can write their Representative or Senator, or working for a candidate or political party. They can make presentations to their local school board or city council, or call the Police to complain about a local dog or something relevant to their personal living experience.
Partly because of the federalist system, people have many opportunities to participate in America's democracy on federal, state, and local levels. Some forms of participation are more common than others and some citizens participate more than others, but almost everyone has a voice in government. Who participates and why, can be defined, as experts have found several social and economic characteristics to be strongly associated with high levels of political participation.
Affordable education for all is the single most important characteristic of an politically active citizen. Generally, the more education an individual has, the more likely he or she is to vote responsibly. This is because in most cases common sense along with a well rounded educated equips citizens to understand complex issues, which develops appreciation of the importance of exercising Civic Responsibility. All employment establishments may in time could be more flexible in allowing employees to take timeout to go to the polls during elections. Others argue that since educated people tend to be wealthier, they have more at stake in the political process.
Age, despite the big push in the early 1970s to allow 18-year-old to vote, 18-24-year-old have consistently held the lowest rate of voting. In fact, in recent years their older siblings (age 25-34 don't do a whole lot better. The highest percentages of eligible voters who actually vote are in those groups are 45 and above.
Racial and Ethnic Groups, if only race and ethnicity are considered, whites have higher Voting Rates than blacks and Latinos. However, that tendency is somewhat deceptive. Some studies that consider income and education levels have found that the voting rates are about the same for whites, blacks, and Latinos.
Consideration of Gender, will show that for many years women were underrepresented at the voting booths, but in recent elections, they have turned out in at least equal numbers to men. In fact, in 2016, turnout among women actually exceeded that of men.
Women supported Clinton over Trump by 54% to 42%. This is about the same as the Democratic advantage among women in 2012 (55% Obama vs. 44% Romney) and 2008 (56% Obama vs. 43% McCain). By 53% to 41%, more men supported Trump than Clinton (the 12-point margin is identical to the margin by which women supported Clinton). The advantage for Trump among men is larger than the 7-point advantage Romney had in 2012 and much different than in 2008 when men preferred Obama over McCain by a single point. Trump’s performance among men is similar to that of George W. Bush in the 2004 and 2000 elections, where he won men by 11 points in each election.
In the 2016 election, a wide gap in presidential preferences emerged between those with and without a college degree. College graduates backed Clinton by a 9-point margin (52%-43%), while those without a college degree backed Trump 52%-44%. This is by far the widest gap in support among college graduates and non-college graduates in exit polls dating back to 1980. For example, in 2012, there was hardly any difference between the two groups, College graduates backed Obama over Romney by 50%-48%, and those without a college degree also supported Obama 51%-47%.
Among whites, Trump won an overwhelming share of those without a college degree, and among white college graduates, a group that many identified as key for a potential Clinton victory. Trump outperformed Clinton by a narrow 4-point margin.
Trump’s margin among whites without a college degree is the largest among any candidate in exit polls since 1980. Two-thirds (67%) of non-college whites backed Trump, compared with just 28% who supported Clinton, resulting in a 39-point advantage for Trump among this group. In 2012 and 2008, non-college whites also preferred the Republican over the Democratic candidate but by less one-sided margins (61%-36% and 58%-40%, respectively).
Trump won whites with a college degree 49% to 45%. In 2012, Romney won college whites by a somewhat wider margin in 2012 (56%-42%). Trump’s advantage among this group is the same as John McCain’s margin in 2008 (51%-47%). Due largely to the dramatic movement among whites with no college degree, the gap between college and non-college whites is wider in 2016 than in any past election dating to 1980.
Declining Voter Turnout, since the beginning of the 20th century, American Voter Turnout has been on the decline. A very small percentage of eligible voters go to the polls during presidential elections. Smaller percentages are routinely reported for congressional elections, and even fewer Americans bother to vote for their local representatives. The United States ranks near the bottom of modern democratic nations who measure voter turnout.
There are many factors that could contribute to low voter turnout. Many analysts cite growing alienation among voters. The scandals of the past several decades have engendered a cynicism that has led to a decrease in political interest, particularly among the nation's young voting population. There tends to be a correlation between Self-Efficacy, or the belief that an individual can actually make a difference, and voting. Some observers believe that the decline in voter turnout indicates that average Americans feel less certain that they can have any impact than Americans of the 19th century.
Other analysts feel differently. They argue cynically that American non-voting may be a massive vote of confidence. Since many Americans are pleased with the economic progress, they may feel reluctant to make a change, so they stay at home on Election Day.
Also, American participation in political activities other than voting exceeds that of other modern democracies. More Americans report the willingness to participate in community projects, attend school board meetings, or contact their representatives directly than European citizens. Participation takes many forms. The American democracy enables its people to join a political party, work on a campaign, or contribute money toward a political cause. More locally, citizens form action groups, draw up petitions, and send mail to their representatives. Although American voter turnout has been declining, these other avenues of participation remain strong.
The United States of America is a federated nation of Sovereign states in a Republic, managed by the Federal Government of the United States. The U.S. Federal Government has three branches:
One important point about the Constitution, it contains a procedure for amendment, we can change our federal government structure or operation as much or as little as we want at any time, we just have to agree sufficiently to do so.
The Congress is bicameral (two parts), the U.S. Senate, and the House of Representatives. Everyone in both houses of Congress is directly elected by the citizens of the USA, though at one time, U.S. Senators were appointed by the legislatures of the States of the United States of America that they represented. The Congress writes the laws of the USA, which is to say, the rules we all live under.
The Executive Branch is the operational part of the Federal government: the bureaucracy, and the U.S. Armed Forces. If the Federal Government is doing something actively, it's this branch of it that is doing the doing. The basic job of everyone who works for this part of the government is to implement the law, as written by the Congress. The President has a say in the legislative process, he must sign all laws, though if he refuses, the Congress can, with sufficient agreement, override his objection.
The Judiciary adjudicates disputes arising out of a conflict between the law as written by Congress, and the actions in practice of the executive branch. It also adjudicates disputes between individuals that have implications in federal law (that is, the dispute is not confined to a single state). The U.S. Supreme Court can declare any law at any level of governments (federal, state, local) “unconstitutional” (meaning not consistent with the Constitution) and thus invalidate that law. Their power is referred to as Judicial Review.
The next level down is the 50 sovereign states, each of which has its own independent government with an elected legislature, though all are subject to the Constitution and U.S. Federal Law. Each of them has a government that mostly mirrors the same structure as I just described at the federal level, though their chief executives are called "Governors" and there are variations of legislatures (Nebraska's legislature is unicameral) and, in some cases, legal systems (Louisiana, for example, does not use English Common Law, their system is based in the French Napoleonic Code). State governments only have jurisdiction within their borders. Disputes between the states are handled by the federal government.
The next level down is subdivisions of the states, most often called "counties" but other names are used, depending on the state. There are many, many counties in the USA, with variations in their governance prescribed by the laws of the state they're within.
At the last level, one sees towns and cities. Some areas which you might call a "town" (or village) don't have their own independent government, these are most often administered by the county that they're within, and they're referred to as being "unincorporated."
Most city and county governments are unicameral arrangements with a small board of elected representatives who write law for that geographical area and oversee an executive ("county manager", "mayor", etc) that operates government services, police, fire protection, garbage collection, etc. The particular services which each local government offers vary widely; many services which other countries would see as being strictly operated by government employees are contracted out to private companies. The system is designed with subsidiarity in mind, though that word (and its concept) is not broadly spoken in political circles these days.
The overall political system of the USA appears very fractious and contentious, but it mostly works by debate and negotiation between interested parties and with compromise. We tend not to do anything unless enough of us agree, and getting sufficient agreement tends to be a loud affair. After operating this system for a couple of centuries, we now seem to be able to make it work without shooting at each other.
https://youtu.be/B5rS3N9CJ4Q
The corrosive consequence of these games in politics is that everything that a politician says, or does, is treated with suspicion because of negative assumptions about why it is being said or done. The quest of minimizing these game-playing and aspiring to do politics in a more grown-up manner would be good for politicians, as well as benefiting voter participation and the country. Yet party lines and self-interest always seem to take precedence to doing the right thing because of short term thinking which is actually counterproductive for the country.
Most politicians come across as scripted and manipulating. Any discussion or debate appears not to be aimed at solving problems but to score points against the opponent or crafted with an eye on the current poll numbers. Both parties fail to serve the American citizen, but appear to target their policies only to appease people who make financial donations as an inducement for massive corporate profit not for the betterment of the country. Left and right of the political spectrum to the neutral voter, are bent on opposing the other even side. This opposition appears so, even if there is agreement with the policy or if the country will benefit from implementation by passing a bill into law.
The modern political party system in the United States is a two-party system dominated by the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. These two parties have won every United States presidential election since 1852 and have controlled the United States Congress since 1856.
In general, Republicans tend to take a more conservative stand on issues. They believe that the federal government should not play a big role in people's lives. Most Republicans favor lower taxes and less government spending on social programs.
Democrats support a more progressive tax structure to provide more services and reduce economic inequality by making sure that the wealthiest Americans pay the highest amount in taxes. Democrats support more government spending on social services while spending less on the military
People may participate in politics in many ways. They can write their Representative or Senator, or working for a candidate or political party. They can make presentations to their local school board or city council, or call the Police to complain about a local dog or something relevant to their personal living experience.
Partly because of the federalist system, people have many opportunities to participate in America's democracy on federal, state, and local levels. Some forms of participation are more common than others and some citizens participate more than others, but almost everyone has a voice in government. Who participates and why, can be defined, as experts have found several social and economic characteristics to be strongly associated with high levels of political participation.
Affordable education for all is the single most important characteristic of an politically active citizen. Generally, the more education an individual has, the more likely he or she is to vote responsibly. This is because in most cases common sense along with a well rounded educated equips citizens to understand complex issues, which develops appreciation of the importance of exercising Civic Responsibility. All employment establishments may in time could be more flexible in allowing employees to take timeout to go to the polls during elections. Others argue that since educated people tend to be wealthier, they have more at stake in the political process.
Age, despite the big push in the early 1970s to allow 18-year-old to vote, 18-24-year-old have consistently held the lowest rate of voting. In fact, in recent years their older siblings (age 25-34 don't do a whole lot better. The highest percentages of eligible voters who actually vote are in those groups are 45 and above.
Racial and Ethnic Groups, if only race and ethnicity are considered, whites have higher Voting Rates than blacks and Latinos. However, that tendency is somewhat deceptive. Some studies that consider income and education levels have found that the voting rates are about the same for whites, blacks, and Latinos.
Consideration of Gender, will show that for many years women were underrepresented at the voting booths, but in recent elections, they have turned out in at least equal numbers to men. In fact, in 2016, turnout among women actually exceeded that of men.
Women supported Clinton over Trump by 54% to 42%. This is about the same as the Democratic advantage among women in 2012 (55% Obama vs. 44% Romney) and 2008 (56% Obama vs. 43% McCain). By 53% to 41%, more men supported Trump than Clinton (the 12-point margin is identical to the margin by which women supported Clinton). The advantage for Trump among men is larger than the 7-point advantage Romney had in 2012 and much different than in 2008 when men preferred Obama over McCain by a single point. Trump’s performance among men is similar to that of George W. Bush in the 2004 and 2000 elections, where he won men by 11 points in each election.
In the 2016 election, a wide gap in presidential preferences emerged between those with and without a college degree. College graduates backed Clinton by a 9-point margin (52%-43%), while those without a college degree backed Trump 52%-44%. This is by far the widest gap in support among college graduates and non-college graduates in exit polls dating back to 1980. For example, in 2012, there was hardly any difference between the two groups, College graduates backed Obama over Romney by 50%-48%, and those without a college degree also supported Obama 51%-47%.
Among whites, Trump won an overwhelming share of those without a college degree, and among white college graduates, a group that many identified as key for a potential Clinton victory. Trump outperformed Clinton by a narrow 4-point margin.
Trump’s margin among whites without a college degree is the largest among any candidate in exit polls since 1980. Two-thirds (67%) of non-college whites backed Trump, compared with just 28% who supported Clinton, resulting in a 39-point advantage for Trump among this group. In 2012 and 2008, non-college whites also preferred the Republican over the Democratic candidate but by less one-sided margins (61%-36% and 58%-40%, respectively).
Trump won whites with a college degree 49% to 45%. In 2012, Romney won college whites by a somewhat wider margin in 2012 (56%-42%). Trump’s advantage among this group is the same as John McCain’s margin in 2008 (51%-47%). Due largely to the dramatic movement among whites with no college degree, the gap between college and non-college whites is wider in 2016 than in any past election dating to 1980.
Declining Voter Turnout, since the beginning of the 20th century, American Voter Turnout has been on the decline. A very small percentage of eligible voters go to the polls during presidential elections. Smaller percentages are routinely reported for congressional elections, and even fewer Americans bother to vote for their local representatives. The United States ranks near the bottom of modern democratic nations who measure voter turnout.
There are many factors that could contribute to low voter turnout. Many analysts cite growing alienation among voters. The scandals of the past several decades have engendered a cynicism that has led to a decrease in political interest, particularly among the nation's young voting population. There tends to be a correlation between Self-Efficacy, or the belief that an individual can actually make a difference, and voting. Some observers believe that the decline in voter turnout indicates that average Americans feel less certain that they can have any impact than Americans of the 19th century.
Other analysts feel differently. They argue cynically that American non-voting may be a massive vote of confidence. Since many Americans are pleased with the economic progress, they may feel reluctant to make a change, so they stay at home on Election Day.
Also, American participation in political activities other than voting exceeds that of other modern democracies. More Americans report the willingness to participate in community projects, attend school board meetings, or contact their representatives directly than European citizens. Participation takes many forms. The American democracy enables its people to join a political party, work on a campaign, or contribute money toward a political cause. More locally, citizens form action groups, draw up petitions, and send mail to their representatives. Although American voter turnout has been declining, these other avenues of participation remain strong.
The United States of America is a federated nation of Sovereign states in a Republic, managed by the Federal Government of the United States. The U.S. Federal Government has three branches:
- Congress (they write U.S. Federal Law for the USA)
- Executive Branch (the President of the United States is head of this)
- Judicial Branch (the U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court)
One important point about the Constitution, it contains a procedure for amendment, we can change our federal government structure or operation as much or as little as we want at any time, we just have to agree sufficiently to do so.
The Congress is bicameral (two parts), the U.S. Senate, and the House of Representatives. Everyone in both houses of Congress is directly elected by the citizens of the USA, though at one time, U.S. Senators were appointed by the legislatures of the States of the United States of America that they represented. The Congress writes the laws of the USA, which is to say, the rules we all live under.
The Executive Branch is the operational part of the Federal government: the bureaucracy, and the U.S. Armed Forces. If the Federal Government is doing something actively, it's this branch of it that is doing the doing. The basic job of everyone who works for this part of the government is to implement the law, as written by the Congress. The President has a say in the legislative process, he must sign all laws, though if he refuses, the Congress can, with sufficient agreement, override his objection.
The Judiciary adjudicates disputes arising out of a conflict between the law as written by Congress, and the actions in practice of the executive branch. It also adjudicates disputes between individuals that have implications in federal law (that is, the dispute is not confined to a single state). The U.S. Supreme Court can declare any law at any level of governments (federal, state, local) “unconstitutional” (meaning not consistent with the Constitution) and thus invalidate that law. Their power is referred to as Judicial Review.
The next level down is the 50 sovereign states, each of which has its own independent government with an elected legislature, though all are subject to the Constitution and U.S. Federal Law. Each of them has a government that mostly mirrors the same structure as I just described at the federal level, though their chief executives are called "Governors" and there are variations of legislatures (Nebraska's legislature is unicameral) and, in some cases, legal systems (Louisiana, for example, does not use English Common Law, their system is based in the French Napoleonic Code). State governments only have jurisdiction within their borders. Disputes between the states are handled by the federal government.
The next level down is subdivisions of the states, most often called "counties" but other names are used, depending on the state. There are many, many counties in the USA, with variations in their governance prescribed by the laws of the state they're within.
At the last level, one sees towns and cities. Some areas which you might call a "town" (or village) don't have their own independent government, these are most often administered by the county that they're within, and they're referred to as being "unincorporated."
Most city and county governments are unicameral arrangements with a small board of elected representatives who write law for that geographical area and oversee an executive ("county manager", "mayor", etc) that operates government services, police, fire protection, garbage collection, etc. The particular services which each local government offers vary widely; many services which other countries would see as being strictly operated by government employees are contracted out to private companies. The system is designed with subsidiarity in mind, though that word (and its concept) is not broadly spoken in political circles these days.
The overall political system of the USA appears very fractious and contentious, but it mostly works by debate and negotiation between interested parties and with compromise. We tend not to do anything unless enough of us agree, and getting sufficient agreement tends to be a loud affair. After operating this system for a couple of centuries, we now seem to be able to make it work without shooting at each other.
https://youtu.be/B5rS3N9CJ4Q
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