We, as a nation, are at a political crossroads. Since the unexpected outcome of the most recent presidential election, much of the American populace has felt rather disheartened by the state of the union. Many politicians seem increasingly willing to put party loyalty before the needs of the public, compromise is a term no longer in the vocabularies of most members of Congress, and our President continues to create divisive and one-sided policies without any consideration for the minority party. Yet to many, this is simply politics. Today, the sentiments associated with the world of politics are, for the most part, negative. Last year, anti-establishment candidates channeled these sentiments; one, in particular, was extremely successful. That man now resides in the White House, and, thus far, he has shown no indication of any plans to follow through on his campaign promise to “drain the swamp.”
During the last election, Democrats and Republicans alike felt that there need to be some serious changes to the way things are done in Washington. To many Republicans, Trump’s message of “making America great again” represented a new hope that would be able to, once and for all, vanquish the political elites that have come to control the country. To some Democrats, too, Trump’s use of anti-establishment rhetoric was appealing. Just imagine a political system in which the Washington insider was not all-powerful, and policy decisions were made based on the best interests of the many, not the few. This is what many envisioned when Trump spoke of “draining the swamp.” However, four months into Trump’s presidency, the swamp remains deeper than ever. Upon his taking office, Trump’s cabinet was immediately filled with corporate elites and Washington insiders; likewise, his business conflicts were only briefly addressed before being shoved under the rug.
Nonetheless, the growing resistance toward the Trump Administration thus far, both from Democrats and Republicans, indicates that there is still a glimmer of hope that we, as a nation, will return the political system to one of integrity. That being said, the polarization in Washington and unwillingness to compromise will not simply disappear. To bring an end to these negative tendencies, it is within the duties of the American public to voice their concerns. This is possible thanks to the fact that we, the people, are responsible for electing our representatives and senators in Washington. If we collectively sit back and allow the swamp to deepen, turning a blind eye to government corruption and unethical behavior, then no change will be achieved. However, if the public remains active in politics and attentive to the actions of those in Washington, it can restore virtue to the political system.
In order to create a political system that better serves the entire nation, we must begin with compromise. This nation was built on compromise and its government, in truth, cannot function without it. In the past decade, we have witnessed the death of compromise. Many members of Congress refuse to even consider working with those of the opposing party to pass legislation, partially because, in many cases, they are not required to. In that respect, when majority rules, compromise dies. Recently, Democrats banded together to block the appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Although these attempts ultimately failed, after Republicans moved to lower the number of votes needed to appoint justices to a simple majority, invoking the nuclear option, the point remains. Nowadays, when one party is opposed by the other, its first instinct is to alter the rules, which were put in place to encourage compromise, instead of doing just that.
Moreover, this refusal of many politicians to compromise not only impacts the integrity and effectiveness of the government, but it also weakens the entire nation. When politicians are allowed to close themselves off from opposing opinions and pass only legislation that favors their party, it is increasingly viewed as acceptable by the public do to the same. Today, the presence of public debate on many issues has decreased dramatically, which is, in part, due to the spread of gerrymandering, which allows politicians to ignore large portions of their constituents with no political consequences. Likewise, when people live in areas where the majority of others share similar political ideologies, they become less inclined to acknowledge other sides of the argument, creating echo chambers within their own circles.
Herein lies the problem. When the American public, as well as those who are supposed to be representing them, isolate themselves in their political beliefs and refuse to engage in true debate, the aims of the political system cannot be achieved. As such, the responsibility to engage not only one another, but those in Washington, is placed upon us – the people. When the American people can put their political leanings behind them and understand what is best for the nation, then the swamp will, once and for all, be drained. Whether the candidate is a Democrat or Republican does not matter; what matters is that they are willing to place the best interests of their constituents, and the entire nation, before all else. When this change occurs, it will no longer matter whether we are Democrats or Republicans; it will only matter that we are Americans.
The political system is not inherently unjust – the opposite, in fact. What makes it unjust is that many of those within it seek to abuse it for personal, political, or financial gain. To restate, this nation is at a great political crossroads. If we choose one path, we will continue on the path of division and corruption, which only serves the few and leaves the many in constant suffering. However, if we choose the other path, we will elect politicians who put country before party, we will craft a political system that represents all Americans, and we will restore all that was once honorable about politics. If we choose this path, together, we shall prevail.
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