Opinion: American restlessness over the state of the economy is making people lose sight of the importance of the state of our democracy. Their pursuit for quick solutions makes them turn to agendas that won’t benefit democracy in the long run.
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In America, the economy rules more so than democracy. We are experiencing widening wealth gaps, have seen alarmingly high rates of inflation this year, as well as high prices for gasoline and housing. The state of our economy is disastrous. But our people and nation are suffering, too. What constitutes as human rights is a heavily debated topic, political affiliations make it difficult to have conversations with people of opposing views and millions of Americans believe they live in a country where elections are stolen, rigged or unjust. This is no place to live in, right?
For 331.9 million people it is, and it’s a place to voice concerns in hopes that politicians will listen. But our pursuit for temporary solutions through economic means blur what will benefit us in the long term. This isn’t to say economics isn’t important- it is greatly –– it affects our cost of living, quality of life and more. The economics of giving tax breaks to billionaires, increasing wealthy corporations’ annual income and funding the police seem meaningless when around 50% of Americans struggle to pay their monthly rent.
Not only are working class families struggling financially now, but they will continue to as the economic impact of climate change increases. The lack of climate action in American politics will decrease our likelihood of reversing the effects of climate change. This has devastating long term side effects to every American regardless of income, but it will impact Americans in the bottom quintile the most. This climate-caused impending doom should bring our country together and gather our attention towards decreasing our carbon footprint. Instead, it is another polarizing topic that falls short against current economics.
Why is our democracy crumbling in these times of economic crises? The answer has to do with feeling in or out of power, and with or without control.
“In eras of dramatic economic inequality, politics and political institutions become less stable. On one hand, people feel very powerless in relation to the economic forces that they feel are controlling them,” Joseph Lowndes, a UO professor who specializes in American political development and populism, said. “On the other, the billionaires and corporations that are no longer regulated in campaign finance, have extraordinary control over what happens in political institutions.”
This economic inequality and powerlessness is coupled with fatigue towards our democracy and an adoption of populist sentimentsagainst the government amongst all Americans.
“You have 76 million republicans who believe that Joe Biden was installed illegally. From their perspective, they’re living in a shadowy regime that stole their election. That’s a populist sentiment,” Lowndes said. “On the left, there is more of an economic populism. Left-wing populism [is] the idea that no one has democratic power anymore because everybody is in the hands of major corporations.”
Both parties share one thing in common: a distrust towards the government. But the reasons for this distrust differ to each respective side. According to a New York Times and Siena Poll, half of registered Republican voters believe the federal government is a major threat to our democracy. Conversely, 14% of registered Democratic voters believe the same threat. Only 7% of all voters believe the state of democracy is the major issue for our country and they tend to blame the opposing party.
If democracy is so unimportant despite our Capitol having been attacked and Roe v. Wade being overturned after nearly 50 years, maybe its meaning has been lost over the years. So, what does democracy mean?
For Tina Kotek, candidate for Oregon’s newest Governor, “democracy means making sure all perspectives are at the table and helping chart the future of our [nation].”
For Doyle Canning, candidate of Oregon’s 4th District Congress, democracy means “that we have a say in the decisions that shape our lives.”
The economy and democracy will always be intertwined. After all, a poor economy deflates a good democracy and vice versa. But to quote Canning, Americans have struggled to have a say in too many big decisions recently. It’s important for Americans to believe they can rely on the Supreme Court to make decisions best suited for all Americans, and for Americans to trust in the electoral process again. Giving hope for democracy’s future through better quality of life and winning back the trust for political institutions will in turn benefit the economy by stabilizing these political institutions. A Pew Research study highlights 85% of Americans believe the political system needs to be completely reformed. They aren’t talking about economic reform — they are pointing to a political, democracy-based reform.
