American Politics: Broken, Not Bent

            Reading and writing are my passion. This is the frank response I continuously return to when I am so often met with the skeptical inquisition of, “But why did you choose an English major?” The reasoning behind my second major, Political Science, is much less straightforward. Partially motivated by the desire to avoid an early graduation and prolong my college career as long as possible, but more so attributed to my curiosity regarding a system that I particularly disliked despite my superficial knowledge of its nuances.  While four years at Loyola Marymount University studying not only domestic, but international political institutions certainly enhanced my understanding of governance, it did not do much in terms of improving my image of our country’s own political system.

            Surely, the democratic republic to which we pledge allegiance was a revolutionary concept at the time of its inception and to this day remains atop the global hierarchy of developed nations. The beacon that was once the United States shines a bit dimmer, however, as our political landscape has begun to resemble much more of a circus than the government of a first world nation. Defined by a culture of incivility, American politics could easily be mistaken for a reality TV series, rife with backstabbing, gossiping, confrontation, and immaturity. This growing problem has become increasingly apparent with the upcoming presidential election, as candidates across both aisles baton-down-the hatches preparing for political onslaught.  

The electoral system in this country while inherently geared for transparency and accountability to the American citizens, has become much more of a public spectacle than a respectable process. The expense to manufacture a competitive campaign in the presidential election now exceeds upwards of $1 billion, with a deluge of unregulated funds from special interest groups pouring into candidates’ pockets further embedding the agendas of large Super PACs and corporations between elected officials and their less affluent constituents.  This epidemic, however, does not afflict the U.S.’s counterparts such as Britain and many other European nations who’s electoral process is characterized by relatively short, inexpensive campaigns where TV commercial spots are prohibited and rigorous laws monitor spending.

What we are now experiencing is a hyper-polarized government that has lost sight of its responsibilities to its citizenry, undermined by combative party politics of reinforcing its own agenda while demonizing the ideas of its opponent. This ideological segregation is only further aggravated by a media that glorifies controversy and partisanship. The nature of politics in America has become overwhelmingly personal, allowing character assassination and personal attacks to dominate the rhetoric of electoral discourse, leaving the solutions to our country’s most troubling issues – health care reform, enormous federal debt, environmental crises, education reform, poverty, etc – doomed to roam the chasm between the aisles.